Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Nyx stood at the top of the ramp and took a deep breath. This training had wiped him out a few times. It was a half-pipe challenge with a hard lip at the end. Bouncing on his feet a few times, he eyed the runway one more time and then took off running down the ramp. At the end, the pipe curved up hard, and he had to push off to make the jump onto the ledge. With a single stride, his agile body propelled him up, and he managed to grab onto the ledge. Success!! With a huge grin and a little 'woop', he pulled himself up onto the other side of the pipe. His partner in crime, Grant, gave him a solid smack to the ass. Dude rituals were so weird. Still, he had to grin because he didn't tumble back down the pipe.

Hannah was next down the ramp. Her height made it easy for her to jump and grab the edge, but she then faltered, having trouble pulling herself up. She eventually clambered up, looking more embarrassed than she needed to. She went to stand close to Nyx, but avoided eye contact. "How much more of this before dinner rations? I am so hungry, I might pick a fight with Grant just to blow off some steam."

Nyx giggled loudly, pushing Hannah’s arm. Well, he pushed himself off of her given their size difference. “You can try that if you want. But I’ll warn you, last time I tried to fight Grant, he threw me to the other side of the mat and then carried me back.” He said, red blush playing on the skin just under his eyes.

Hannah gave a "hmm" in agreement and started measuring her breathing in an attempt to calm her restless mind. She was interrupted by the growling of her stomach.

“Besides,” Nyx tried to pull off his best bold impression. “We all know that Grant is just a big softie in there.” He said, turning and running straight into Grant's chest. When he looked up and saw the man's bearded smirk, he knew he was done for.

“That so, kitten?” Grant grunted.

Nyx turned bright red and turned to flee. “Hannah, let’s go!“ he said, hearing Grants chuckle behind him.

Hannah rolled her eyes, but took off at a brisk stride to keep up with Nyx's scamper. They left training a few minutes early, but she knew the captain wasn't going to worry about something so small, even if it was a chance to give them shit. She and Nyx fell into step beside each other. "I really hope there's enough rations to go around today. I know this portion thing is keeping us alive, but I'm so tired I'm about to start ducking my duties no matter what they threaten me with."

Nyx wandered in beside Hannah. She didn’t seem to like him much, despite how much time they had been hanging out. At least she put up with him enough. Given if she was wounded in battle that Nyx would be patching her up… it made sense. “Yeah well. Things are tense right now, I guess. The affini caught another fleet not even two days ago!” Nyx had fled his home world as the affini came in, his mother tossing him aboard a refugee shuttle. He’d joined the Terran army in hopes of avenging her sacrifice.

"How much longer can we keep this up? What's even waiting for us if we somehow get away? I-", she was cut short as they rounded a corner and ran into Dan. Hannah immediately tensed before she could hide it. She also could have sworn that she moved unnecessarily to the side, as if putting herself in front of Nyx.

Dan leered from where he casually leaned on the wall about 10 paces away. "Doing all right there, tough guy?" His tone was all mockery.

Nyx quivered a bit at hearing Dan's voice. The guy was an ass and someone should really teach him a lesson. With a feral little growl, he stepped around Hannah and tried his best to bark at Dan, though it likely came across as a squeak. “You should really fuck off!”

Dan was trying to act cool, but at Nyx's words, his composure broke with a snort. He failed to pull himself together and just started laughing. He looked like he had something to say but could not get the words out. He turned and laughed his way around a corner and out of sight.

Hannah stood there now juggling two types of shock.

Nyx stood there, quivering in the aftermath of being mocked by Dan like that. For his threat to not even be taken realistically? It was devastating to his poor little heart. He collected himself and turned to shuffle toward the cafeteria.

Hannah recovered from her own shock and took some quick steps to catch up. After a short awkward silence, she said, "Sorry for freezing again. I… I don't know how to handle that guy."

Nyx looked up at Hannah and then shrugged. “It’s… ok. Sorry, I can’t stop him.” An idea occurred to him though, "Perhaps we could get Grant to say something? Hell, every guy has his price.''

"Grant doesn't like fighting and I... I don't want to bother him with this. Dan is an ass, but at least he has been mostly harmless so far." Hannah sighed again as their names were marked off the meal list and they both received most of a dry nutrition bar.

Nyx chewed on his rations for a long moment as he considered the possibility. Yep. He was gonna find Grant later and see if they could cut a deal. “Yeah, well… I might be small, but I’m not gonna let this stand.” He grumbled.

Hannah ate over half of her ration bar in 2 bites, hardly bothering to chew as it all tasted like paste to her. She patted Nyx on the back, "Just don't get in over your head. You are the only one who can keep us going when things get bad." They wandered the ship, looking for anywhere that they might have a few moments of not being bothered.

Nyx spotted Grant off to the side. He had to muster all his courage and confidence to stride over. He leaned his hands into the rail right next to Grants. “So tell me.” He hummed. “What’s the price on you helping me get Dan off of Hannah’s back?” Blush played softly on his face.

"Nyx! Please don't bother him with this." Hannah cut in before Grant could answer.

Grant immediately looked concerned. "Did he touch you?" There was an anger in his voice that was not meant for the two in front of him.

Nyx ignored Hannah in favor of batting his eyes at Grant. “No.” He said with a soft whine in his voice. “But he’s an absolute jerk! And like… if you could just scare him… you know, that could be beneficial for everyone.” Nyx said, lithe little fingers playing across a handrail.

Grant looked torn, "look, I would love to help you, but I can't just go picking a fight with a guy because he's an ass. I'd have to kick the ass of half the people on this ship at least. I just can't see it being worth the trouble unless he's actually posing you a serious threat. No one has been spaced yet, but I don’t know what will push someone over the edge."

Nyx felt his blush heat up more, but he had to secure this deal. He wasn’t good for much in a fight, but this? Oh, he was a pro at this when needed. He placed his soft hand on Grants, fingers loosely wrapping into his. “I’m saying I could make it worth your time.”

Grant looked dumbly down at their hands for a moment, then up to Nyx's face. Time stretched out awkwardly for a long moment.

"Nyx!", Hannah tried to protest.

Nyx noticed that her face was flushed, more than it should have, just for understanding what he was implying. His attention was drawn back to Grant before he could ponder this.

Grant came out of his own little world where he had been pondering the situation he had found himself in. He came back with a grin. "I wouldn't have thought you rolled like that." He let out a hearty chuckle that had nothing malicious in it. "Tell you what, I will find a way to handle Dan either way. Do you want to find somewhere now or later to explore whatever you happen to be implying with this handhold?"

Nyx had to bite his lip to stifle his own noises before he gave a soft shrug. “Whatever works for you, Grant.” He smiled fondly.

Hannah stood there, dumbfounded, looking like she was trying to hide some sadness. She shook herself and stared aghast at Nyx. "W-what are you doing?!" She kept her voice down, but there was a detectable quaver that sounded more like fear than anger.

Nyx removed himself from Grant with a fond smile. “I am… I’m fixing our problem.” He said under his breath. “This is how I do that, alright? It’s fine.”

"I...", Hannah choked. A tear escaped her eye and she turned to run down the corridor.

Nyx looked after her, concerned. He let out a soft sigh. “That’s why Dan needs to be handled.” He said, and slipped close to Grant again.

Grant looked after Hannah, the grin still on his face, in danger of falling away. "Do you want to go after her and make sure she's all right, or are you too distracted right now? I'm happy to wait. None of us are going anywhere."

Nyx looked down the hall again and then back to Grant. “Wait here!” He said before he took off running after Hannah.

It did not take Nyx long to find Hannah. The ship doesn't necessarily feel cramped, but there's not a lot of places to go and be left alone. She was hiding in the engine room. People don't usually go here if they can help it because of the noise. She saw Nyx come in through her tears, but didn't meet his gaze.

Nyx wanders over on his light feet before sitting down beside her. “Hey.” He said softly. “Don’t let Dan do this to you.” He muttered.

"It's not Dan", Hannah mutters, taking a moment to sniffle. "You shouldn't have to give yourself up like that to try and take care of things, especially not me."

Nyx frowned a bit. “Well, hell, I can’t fight him.” He said and then giggled a bit. “Besides, girl. I wanna get in bed with Grant. I’ve gotta stroke his ego a bit and make him feel like he’s winning a prize.” He smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

Hannah looked up, seeming confused. "You are into other guys?"

He burst out laughing and then put a hand on her shoulder. “Hannah, there is plenty you don’t know about me.”

She flinches at the contact, something still seeming to trouble her. She fails to find her words twice, finally succeeding on the third try. "Is that why you hang out with me?"

Nyx blushed softly at feeling like he’d been seen so quickly by someone. “Heavens, no.” He shook his head before giggling a bit. “Me too, you goof.” He said, tugging his shirt up to reveal the edges of his binder.

Hannah stared, dumbfounded. "But how do you... You're so..." Some more tears ran down her face. "You are so confident, how do you do it?"

Nyx offered a small shrug. “I just… I’m used to being the small one so I tend to keep a low profile.”

Hannah felt even more confused. The words spilled from her mouth before she can stop. "I got the feeling you might be into me but… I thought it was… But you were still so nice…" When she realized what she said, she looked ready to push past Nyx and run.

Nyx bit his lip with a light chuckle. “I mean…. If you asked.” He winked before humming. “Though pretty sure you’ll have to fight Grant at this point.”

Hannah looked at him wide-eyed, "I didn't- what I meant...", She flustered, unable to find her words. She only just managed to stop herself from losing control of her breathing, "R-really?"

Nyx brushed a hand over her shoulder. “Yes, I meant that. You’re a very nice lady and… well, I’m sure you’re fun in bed.” He giggled, being a little gremlin at that point.

Hannah let out a nervous chuckle that grew into real laughter. She was still fighting the anxiety in her body but was starting to calm down. "I guess we will have to find out later, it's not like I could just go and join you with Grant."

Now it was his turn to blush and feel nervous. “Yeah.” He chuckled a bit. “I can uh… I can imagine Grant would go for that.” He shrugged, legs squirming a little.

"He would?" She asked as if not able to believe what she was hearing.

“Oh come on, Hannah.” He giggled. “Did you see how easy it was for me to slide in on him and bat my eyes some? Man probably hasn’t taken someone to bed since we launched."

"He did seem to go with it pretty quick", she said, her thoughts trailing off for a moment. She took a deep breath as if bracing herself and then looked back into Nyx's green eyes. "Would you mind if… could we ask him together?"

The spell was briefly broken as Hannah seemed to realize what she was saying and threw her hands up. "I-I mean!", She said stuttering and not making any sense. The desire and hope had not left her eyes, but she was about to panic.

“Hey.” He said, letting his voice take on that singing quality his mom always used on him. “It’s gonna be a great time. Come on, I’ll do all the talking. You just stand there and look cool.”

Her bottom lip was shaking. She considered it long enough that Nyx was worried she was going to be overwhelmed and say no. Finally, she took a few steadying breaths and pushed herself to her feet, wiping her face free of any remaining tears. "Okay... This is going to be really awkward, but I trust you."

Chapter Text

Nyx straightened his shoulders and began the walk back to where they had left grant, keeping Hannah at a close follow. When he found Grant, he gave a fond grin and slipped up close to him. “I’ve sweetened the deal for you, big guy.” He offered in a whisper on his toes. “Hannah wants to play along with us. You just gotta scare Dan in return for two people warming your bunk tonight.” Nyx licked his lower lip before he let his hand drift down to Grant's belt, dipping in to grip him softly. “Seems like you can handle it.” He batted his lashes.

Grant was breathless and flushed. “You’ve got a deal.” He said, voice deep and grumbling with lust.

As Nyx felt Grant growing in his hand they both turned to Hannah who was trying to nonchalantly fuss with the front of her pants. "You want this as well lady?" Grant asked, his tone all friendly humor.

Hannah stiffened but quickly drew in a deep breath and let out a shaky, "Y-yes."

Grant smiled, casually grabbed Nyx by the wrist and pulled the little elf out of his pants. "Stop that you goof. If someone walks by and sees us then none of us will get any." He gave a perceptible shiver of pleasure as Nyx's hand brushed him on the way out.

Nyx grunted as his hand was removed but he supposed Grant was right. Safe to say, he was turned on now and he needed to get them going soon. “Hold on,” he hummed and slipped down the hall to check for anyone looking. When he was sure it was clear he waved the other two to follow him.

"The bunks?" Hannah asked.

"Nah, bound to be someone loafing around in there," Grant said, his expression going thoughtful. "You two head for the engine room and I'll meet you there in 5 minutes."

They all nodded and Grant headed back in the direction of the cafeteria. Hannah and Nyx headed towards the engine room, trying not to look like they were up to no good.

"I'm not sure I can believe this is happening." Hannah said. She knew she didn't want to stop but she still felt like she should feel guilty or something.

Nyx gave his lips a soft lick as they got into the engine room. He led her deeper into the shadows. “Grant will find us when he gets here. As for you,” he smirked as he slid to his knees, “I can keep you entertained.”

"Y-you want to what?" Hannah asked, her face blushing to a deeper shade of red.

He gave a slight pout. “You know… nothing says we have to wait for Grant.” He said, running a hand along her boot.

Hannah was still hesitant but her desire was evident in her eyes and the shape of her pants. "O-ok. Just don't talk about anything you see down there!" She changed her posture to one that felt less defensive.

Nyx gave a little hum as he straightened his back and then ran his legs up her legs. “Oh, of course not.” He smiled as he worked open her pants, kissing the top of her hip bone.

Hannah tried to maintain her composure but her lower lip trembling was only one of several signs she was flustered. She braced her hands on some of the machinery behind her and tried unsuccessfully to stop shaking as her pants slipped from her hips.

Nyx let his nimble fingers slide into her panties and slip them a bit further down. “Did I ever tell you how pretty you are?” He asked, kissing her length slowly as he looked up at her. His charm was next level; it was his main defense so he was very good at it

Hannah's breath was already coming in quick gasps. She looked down at Nyx, "w-what?", She asked as if she could not believe his words. The kisses were eliciting tiny whimpers from her. It had been a very long time since she had shared company with someone else this way and the first time with anyone who respected who she was.

Nyx gave a cheeky grin. “You heard me, pretty girl.” He said, his slick tongue running up her length.

Hannah gave a soft cry and failed to stop her hips from moving forward a bit, asking for more.

Nyx was glad she was getting more into it and he used the motion of her hips to let her slip into his mouth. He looked up at her with a sparkle in his green eyes.

Hannah cried out as she slipped in. She quickly covered her mouth. Nyx's mouth was so warm and he was being so gentle it felt amazing. She was backed against the wall with one hand still covering her mouth, the other came forward to gently grasp the elf boy's hair. She hardly had time for a full breath before she looked up and saw Grant leaning against the wall only a short distance away, a relaxed smile on his face. Hannah tried to back away from Nyx but she was already stuck between him and the wall.

Nyx wiggled on his knees as he kept Hannah in his mouth. His eyes glanced over to see Grant standing there and he wiggled a bit as he blushed some more. He arched his back and planted his knees to get a firmer position to he let Hannah keep using his mouth for her pleasure.

"Don't stop on my account", Grant says, coming up to stand next to them.

Hannah could not think straight. Nyx's mouth felt so good there was no room for any other thoughts, even when Grant was standing right next to them. Her movements pulled on Nyx's hair a little and when he moved with the motion her back began to arch.

Grant had slipped off his heavy jacket but stopped before continuing to undress. "You want me to jump in or just sit tight until that pretty girl gets to cum?"

Nyx felt his breath coming out a bit shorter now as Hannah was taking up more room in his throat. He looked up at Grant with his eyes and then wiggled his bottom a bit. He was unable to speak but he hoped his intentions were clear.

"I hear you, kitten. You just keep your attention focused on Hannah and tap my leg if it's too much." As he spoke he pulled off the rest of his clothes with surprising speed and kicked them into a pile behind him. He ran his hand gently up the arm Hannah had in Nyx's hair and spoke softly to her. "Keep his head where it feels good," then began pulling off Nyx's pants.
Hannah managed to get a thought off to wonder how Grant knew how to be so sex-positive. She managed to get off another and wonder how these two knew which things to say that would make her heart race even faster. Meanwhile, her pleasure continued to build.

Nyx did as he was told, keeping his eyes on Hannah as she began to hold his head in a much more useful spot to her. He enjoyed all the attention he was getting. He kept his hands planted on the ground, drool running down his chin as Hannah moved in an out of his mouth.

Hannah was still moaning and gasping into her hand. She had always thought to herself that she was on the larger end size-wise. It was so hard to tell and she hated thinking about it. One look at Grant made her feel very small.
Grant leaned in close to Nyx and said, "Both of you are not what you appear, it is so nice to see you both having a good time. Which hole do you want it in kitten?"

Nyx practically melted at those words being whispered into his ear. His head was getting a little fuzzy. He just spread his legs some more, giving Grant access to whatever he wanted. His mouth was still so full and he just managed to look over to Grant with slightly watery eyes. He gave his butt a little wiggle

Grant smiled and said, "Remember to tap my leg if it is too much." He drizzled something from a bottle onto Nyx's exposed butt and then on his already hard cock. It was cold and smelled like something from a kitchen. He spread it around a little and then started to slowly push into Nyx's butt.

Nyx could tell where Grant was going to end up fucking him based on where the coolness pooled. His eyes looked up to Hannah, needing her face to keep him steady. He’d done this a couple of times before but those guys had been rather rough.

Hannah got a brief vivid look at Nyx's face before his motions, in reaction to Grant pushing deeper, caused her back to arch again. Something had started in her that could not be stopped. She worried that she was pulling on Nyx's hair too hard but she could not move her arm.

Grant pushed deeper, carefully watching Nyx's reactions. He had to slow down a few times but it was not long before his hips bumped against the elf boy's cheeks. He waited there a moment, looking up just in time to see Hannah's eyes go wide.

Removing her hand for the first time since they started and grasping for support behind her she franticly spoke. "N-nyx! I-I can't s-stop! I-im going to-"

Nyx let out a string of loud whines as Grant filled him up from behind, pushing so deep into him. As Hannah started to cum down his throat, all he could do was swallow what he could take while some ran down his chin. His mind was fully in that space of being meant only for use. Blank and so peaceful as he got filled by two very hot people.

Hannah had managed to keep her scream silent when she came but then her legs gave out. She fell slowly to the floor, mostly propped on the wall, now looking up at Nyx with Grant behind him.

With his mouth now free, he was able to let his noises out more freely. “Fu-fuck… Grant. You’re s-ah!-so big.” He huffed out, head falling to rest on Hannah’s shoulder as he whined softly, his body rocking with each thrust.

Grant smiled down at the two though only Hannah could see. His breaths got quicker as he began to wonder if he would hit his limits before this little elf who seemed to be enjoying every bit of this. He was going to make sure he enjoyed every bit of this. He put his hands on Nyx's hips and pulled with each thrust.

Nyx let out a few loud whines every time he was pulled onto Grant's cock. “Pl-ah-please fuck m-me.” He begged in a lewd whine, loving the feeling of surrendering to Grant.

Grant keeps his pace for a moment more, his breathing almost as ragged as Nyx's. He slowed for a moment to ask, "you want it inside?"

Nyx was beginning to struggle to hold himself up anymore. He wasn’t known for his strength or stamina, neither were his strong points. His arms shook with the effort, back aching from the pounding. “P-please,” he begged weakly.

"Good kitty," Grant all but purred. A moment more of thrusting and his motions grew short and jerky before he pushed all the way inside. Letting it a groan as he emptied himself into Nyx.

Nyx felt his arms give way at that final thrust and he collapsed from the effort of maintaining his position. He was nothing but a puddle of whines and whimpers on the ground

Grant held him in place with one hand on Nyx's hip and the other sneaking around to play with him in the front. "Not so fast there, little boy. I am not going to let you get that close without finishing." His hand moved in small motions providing pressure on Nyx from the front and back.
Nyx felt his back arch at that sensation, the feeling of Grant’s cum dripping down his thighs. It drove him wild with more lust. “Grant!” He squeaked at the sudden jolts of pleasure.

Nyx squirmed on the floor as the orgasm hit hard, harder than any had in a while. It took everything he had to contain his whines of ecstasy as he tried to move away from Grant's skilled fingers.

Grant let him ride it out for a moment and then slowly slid out Nyx. He set the body down on the floor lying on his side next to the still somewhat dazed Hannah.

Nyx pushed himself up a bit, finally starting to recover from his orgasm. “Holy fucking shit.” He huffed slowly. “Damn, why were you keeping that thing a secret?” Nyx laughed at Grant as he cuddled up to Hannah

Hannah finally seemed to get her wits back about her, at least in part. When Nyx cuddled up next to her she reflexively started to shy away but allowed herself to stifle the feeling and relax for the moment. "I-I didn't know it could feel that good. Does it feel that good whenever you guys do it?"

Nyx couldn’t hold in his laughter. “Yeah, it feels fucking great, Hannah. Why do you think I was willing to do it in a damn engine room?”

All three of them shared a good chuckle but then Grant suddenly stiffened. He darted a look over his shoulder and cursed under his breath. Dan stood near the doorway, frozen in shock at the sight before him.

Nyx scrambled to his feet, hissing low under his breath. He picked up a pipe from the ground, ready to deal with whatever Dan might be planning. It would have been a lot more convincing if his legs were not shaking and he was wearing anything from the waist down.

Hannah tried to sit up but her arms were still shaking too much.
There was a tense few seconds where the only sound and motion came from the engine's machinery. Dan turned and ran from the room.

Nyx felt himself holding his breath for a long few moments before he dropped the pipe. “Fucking shit,” he huffed before he turned to try helping Hannah up. “Come on, we gotta get out of here.”

Grant moved the fastest, tossing his clothes back on almost as quickly as they had come off. "We have to move fast", he said in a tone a lot calmer than his actions. "You too give us cleaned up as you can as quickly as you can and head back to the bunks. Deny any accusations that Dan might bring against you. Don't stick your neck out for me, I should be able to handle this if we can keep you two out of trouble. Make sure that neither of you is alone." He didn't even wait to hear their confirmation before he sprinted out of the room, only seconds after Dan had left.

Nyx blushed. Had he gotten them all in trouble? He fretted as he tried to tug Hannah along. “Hannah, come on!”

They managed to clean themselves up and start making for the bunks. They were almost there when Nyx's communicator started beeping. The signal meant there was a medical emergency. Nyx rip the device off his belt and opened the com channel to the one who had made the call.

“Mother fuck…” he grumbled as he got the communicator off his belt and looked into the screen. “What’s the location of your emergency?” he asked.

Hannah was already reaching for the medical kit in a nearby recess.
The voice on the com spoke to Nyx, "Front hallway, near the bridge! It's Grant! He's been stabbed!"

Chapter Text

Nyx felt his heart falter for a moment before his training kicked in, stuffing any other emotions down. Nyx grabbed the kit from Hannah and took off at a full sprint, darting through the hallways. When he got to Grant, he knelt beside him and began first aid. “Need a stretcher to the front hall on the bridge. Gonna need transport to meet bay, and I need it now!” He called out, blood starting to cover his arms. He could do the suture here but they needed a blood transfusion.

A bloody combat knife lay on the floor near the wall a few feet down the hallway. A trail consisting of a few blood drops ended a few feet past that, they took off towards the junction to the other main hallway.

Grant was barely conscious. The wound was likely not fatal but he would not be on his feet for a while.

Hannah leaned in close as a few other crew members gathered around. "Did he do this?"

Grant gave a barely perceptible nod and then lost consciousness. The monitor Nyx had already hooked up gave an acknowledging beep and thankfully did not start sounding alerts.

"What on Earth is all this," came the booming voice of Captain Connors.

Medical transport arrived mere seconds later and they started to load Grant up. “Captain, I understand you’re upset but right now I’ve got a dying man on my hands,” the elf retorted. “So, respectfully, your investigation will have to wait.” He said as the team, including Nyx, rolled out for the med bay.

It obviously cost him a lot but the captain did not press the matter. "Do we know who is responsible? And Johnson! Find out who that knife belongs to."

"Dan," Hannah said without hesitation.

"Your sure?" the captain asked.

"I did not see it myself, sir. That is what Grant told me just before he lost consciousness."

"Higs! Branber! Go find Dan immediately." The captain barked at two more of the bystanders as they got Grant into the medical bay. 

Nyx did his best to pay attention to all the monitors at once. It was hard to keep his emotions in check but he knew it had to be done. Right, start the suture. Line after line… He was gonna kill Dan, no push that down… Run the stitch… Why couldn’t he just keep his mouth shut?… the skin was coming together. 

The captain stayed with them until another crew mate showed up and reported that Dan had been found washing blood off his hands and was now in the brig. The captain nodded and departed with them, leaving just Hannah to help Nyx. He finished up the stitch, covered it in rapid healing gel, and took the interface cuff from Hannah.

"How did things get so bad so fast?" she mused with a defeated tone.

“I should have kept my mouth shut…” he muttered, wondering how much of this would blow back on them. And it would be his fault! He was the one who orchestrated the whole deal.

"Not that," Hannah said, "their fight. Grant would not have gone in swinging, so why did Dan feel he needed to stab him?"

“Cause he’s a piece of shit!” Nyx started in a loud tone but quieted himself.

"Still not enough reason to stab someone. At least this won't end well for him no matter how he spins it, they literally caught him red-handed. I wonder what he has to say for himself." Hannah's words felt rather calm but she expected she would feel multiple waves of adrenaline crash very shortly.

Nyx paced a few times before he ran a hand through his hair. “I’m gonna check on Grant," he muttered and went to find him in his bed. 

The sound of heavy boots announced the captain's return along with several armed crewmen. Hannah and Nyx turned to face him. "So, I just had a word with Dan. Grant had been chasing after him trying to attack him and he stabbed Grant in self-defense. He also tells me that Grant was crazy and had just finished raping you two. Do either of you have any explanation for this?"

Nyx could see the dread and fear rising on Hannah’s face. No need to fear though, he was experienced in doing all of the talking… and getting out of sticky situations with his words. “Sir, respectfully, I don’t know if you should be taking the words of a man who just stabbed someone. Hannah and I are both fine, I mean, look at us! We are fine. Do we look raped? We look stressed, sure. But I mean one of our best gunners just got stabbed and we’ve got a goddamn alien race on our asses. So, respectfully, Dan is trying to shift the focus off himself.”

"That does sound more plausible but then why would Dan want to stab Grant?" the captain wondered allowed. The tension in the room was still high strung, though it had dropped noticeably.

“Dan is an ill-tempered man. I don’t know why you tolerate him, Sir.”

The captain considered for a moment. "All right, Dan will be staying in the brig until he has a better story. Nyx, you obviously stay here and take care of Grant. Let me know how long before you think he can be back on his feet. And Hannah, you get some rest so you can be ready for your shift tomorrow. I don't like how close the plant activity has gotten and I do not want to be caught flat-footed." The captain turned to go.

Nyx nodded softly before he turned to brush a hand over Hannah’s shoulder. “You probably do need some rest.” He said, giving her a fond smile. “I’ve got your back,” he mouthed before he walked over to tend to Grant.

"Do you think I could just lay down in the next medical bed? I really don't want to be alone in the barracks right now."

Nyx gave a soft nod. “Of course, dear. We’ll get you some anxiety meds.”

"Just don't give me too much. I want them but I also want to be sharp for tomorrow." She surprised herself as she started moving without thinking to hug Nyx. She tried to cover up the motion and move away but it had been rather obvious it was on her mind.

Nyx finished the hug for her and then helped her lay down in the bed. He gave her a small dose of antianxiety meds before moving to check on Grant. He ran some fingers through his hair, worn out from the day.

---

The next day started with a moaning sound. Hannah woke up first, still groggy with sleep and the after-effects of the medication. Nyx woke a few seconds later, raising his head from where he'd been slumped against the side of Grant's bed sitting in a chair. The moaning was coming from Grant. Now that sleep was receding, Nyx heard Grant say, "Water," in a husky rasp. 

Nyx jolted out of his chair to fetch some water. He scrambled back to Grant's side and helped him sit up to drink.

"How long was I out," he asked, some strength already returning to his voice.

“All night.” Nyx fretted, brushing a hand through Grant's hair. “Had me worried, big guy.” He laughed nervously.

Hannah groggily stood up and wandered over next to the bed without speaking.

"I'm guessing by your relaxed behavior that Dan has been taken care of?" he asked, already visibly relaxing at the acknowledgment.

“Well, he was caught pretty quickly.” Nyx commented.  “You don't need to worry about that.”

"I didn't expect him to pull a knife, I was just trying to catch up to him and at least talk. He must have thought I was attacking him." He glanced down at his bandage side, "So kitty, am I going to live?"

Nyx gave a soft laugh at that. “I think you are gonna be just fine. No organs were hit.” He said, brushing a thumb over Grant's cheek.

"That's good to hear. I'd love to know what that asshole story was."

Hannah finally spoke up, "He said that you'd gone crazy, raped us both, and then we're chasing him. Trying to write it off as self-defense."

"I'm just glad you are both okay." He stopped and looked pointedly at each of them. "You are both okay, right? As well as you can physically and staying out of trouble with the captain?"

Nyx gave a small nod and hummed. “We seem to be doing fine apart from being a bit shaken up.”

"That's good," he replied, stifling a yawn. "Now do I have any doctor's orders other than more water and bed rest, because I think I want to get started on that."

Nyx hummed softly. “Better not see you straining, mister.” He said before moving off to check on Hannah

"Hey," Grant said, pulling their attention back to him, "don't let me catch either of you beating yourselves up for what happened. I have no regrets other than underestimating Dan and not getting to relax with you too after our fun. If you have concerns that are not just trying to blame yourself we will talk about them soon." He almost had to force the last words out his eyes were drooping so much.

Hannah nodded her agreement but her heart didn't seem completely in it. As Grant's eyes slipped shut she checked the time. "Shit, I have to run Nyx. I already missed my shower window and I'm going to have to run to be at my gun in time. You going to be okay here?" Her words were honest but she looked rather worn thin.

Nyx gave a nod. “Yeah, I’ve got this medbay under control. And thanks, yesterday was fun, pretty girl.” Nyx said, throwing a little tease at her.

Hannah's face went red and she said with a stammer "I-I had fun too. I think I want to talk about it later, if that's ok..."

Nyx gave a fond smile. “Of course.” He hummed before he went back to his busy work in the medbay.

As Hannah walked to the doorway the captain's voice came over the ship's coms. "All hands prepare for warp jump in t-minus 5 minutes." Hannah's walk turned to a run to get to her turret gun before the jump. 

***

After the jump and an insanely dull shift of staring into empty space, Hannah entered the medbay carrying the dinner rations for the three of them. Grant was asleep and Nyx had fallen asleep in his chair again. She woke them with a forced cheer in her voice "Dinner time."

Nyx stretched and climbed out of his chair, wiggling slightly with the effort before he went and got them all some water. “Jump was a little dizzying.” He commented with a hum.

She gave a hum of agreement then hesitated. "Should we wake Grant up or let him sleep?"

Nyx gave a small smile. “Let’s get the ogre up.” He teased and then walked over to the sleeping man and ruffled his hair. “Eating time, mister.” He hummed

He murmured something before slowly rousing and blinking bleary eyes at them. "What time is it?"

"Dinner time," Hannah said, evidently in good cheer, "they gave us each a piece of candy with our ration bar so we can see if any of us still have a sense of taste." She dropped the ration bars and three small caramels in crinkly wrappers onto a tray within reach of them all. 

Nyx gave a little wiggle at the prospect and hummed softly as he took one into his mouth. It still had enough sweetness to give him a fun little tingle and he sat on the bed. He grabbed a candy and held it up for Grant. “Open up. Doctors orders.”

Grant smirked but did as instructed. They were mostly quiet for a bit until Hannah broke the silence. "We should be done with our next jump sometime around mid-morning tomorrow."

Nyx smiled at that before he sat up on his knees and held a candy out to Hannah. “Doctors orders!”

Hannah rolled her eyes but her mouth quirked up into a smile. She unwrapped the candy and popped it into her mouth, closing her eyes and savoring the flavor.

Nyx had a fun little idea. “Medbay quarantine procedure. Possible contamination. Will advise when clear.” He said into his comms device and then shut the medbay down into quarantine. “Seems we’re alone now,” he smirked

The voice of Jarens, the comms manager, crackled over the intercom, "Medbay, we have a quarantine alert, what's your status?"

"Probably should have talked about that option before we just jumped in," Hannah said, a bit of concern creeping into her voice.

“Clearing through the appropriate protocols. Please hold.” Nyx responded in a monotone. 

He shrugged. “Somewhat routine given the nature of traveling through space.”

Grant chuckled on the bed. "We can just say that Dan must have stabbed something weird and then didn't clean his knife properly. Now, something might have gone wrong."

"We hear you medbay. Anything we should be worried about?" The voice of Jarens continued.

“Found some contamination from the knife from yesterday, just following protocol,” Nyx said with a fond little smile at Grant and Hannah.

"Understood medbay, see you in 12 hours. Call us if we can help."

"Thank goodness we ate right before this," Hannah said heaving a sigh but then grinning. "And you're right! We are alone! Anything for a few more minutes of peace on this blasted ship." 

Nyx giggled and sat up on his knees, then licked his lips. “So what’re we doing?” He smirked.

"Aren't there cameras in here?" Hannah asked. 

“That can be handled.” Nyx whistled innocently.

Hannah walked over to sit in the chair that Nyx had vacated. "So what are we going to do with our free 12 hours, other than use it as an excuse to do nothing until it is time to sleep?"

“I can think of a few things.” He said with a little giggle. “I think we could perhaps revisit some of our fun from yesterday. This time with actual beds.”

Chapter Text

"W-we don't have to," Hannah quickly stammered.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t wanna.” Nyx said. “But I’m sure Grant has enough strength to have some fun," he said with a teasing look at the man.

Grant playfully swatted Nyx's hands away. "Don't you think you should make sure everyone is cool with this first?" he said, giving Nyx a meaningful look.

Nyx pouted at him playfully before he wandered over and perched himself on Hannah’s knee. “I’m not trying to pressure you. But… we are all cool here.”

Hannah stiffened but easily held Nyx's weight. "I know what you are talking a-about in general but I don't know what you are specifically saying," she said with a slight shake to her voice.

“No one is judgmental.” He said, lacing his fingers into her hand. “So we can just have fun. It is the same plan that we had for the engine room, except now we have a bed.”

She tensed further, feeling an urge to pull her hand away but trying not to. She did not meet Nyx's gaze. "I-it felt like a heat of the moment thing... It f-felt really g-good but something was wrong, I didn't really even do anything but fall over and almost pass out..." Her lower lip trembled and her tone was quivering.

“Well,” Nyx said slyly before he moved to slip onto his knees between her legs. “You’re already seated now.”

Hannah looked shocked. "B-but you couldn't still want-!... I still h-haven't-!..." she could not get a full sentence out.

“You tell me to stop and I will.” He said before he kissed her knee and let his hands wander towards the button of her pants.

Hannah didn't, or possibly couldn't stop him. "B-but," she continued to stammer a feeble protest with her own desire already rising.

Nyx looped his fingers into the buttons and opened her pants, sliding his hand into the waist of her panties. “Seems you’re excited.” He smirked.

Hannah abruptly pushed Nyx away, almost shouting! "Wait a moment! I at least need to talk first!" Her chair started to topple backward with the force of her push.

Nyx blushed heavily. He’d just assumed they could have fun together… seems that wasn’t the case. “I’m… sorry, Hannah.” He said shrinking a bit.

Grant quickly reached out from the bed to helped stabilize the chair. There was a moment of silence as Hannah caught her breath. "Is there something you would like to talk about?" Grant asked in an open and relaxed tone.

Hannah hesitated, looking down and to the side. Finally, she said, "It all sounds so dumb when I think about it."

Nyx swallowed thickly and backed away from Hannah slowly, coming to rest against the bed.

Grant offered a calm smile. “Well, we have time to listen.”

"You guys don't think I'm being weird or a problem?"

Both of them shook their head no. Nyx was a lot more cautious but Grant was open and relaxed.

"Then why do I feel like I'm doing something very bad?" She sounded somewhere between hopeful and tears.

“I don’t know anything about what it’s like, Sunshine. But I can tell you that enjoying your body isn’t a bad thing,” Grant hummed.

"Things don't match... I'm not... Right... Even if it feels good."

“Sunshine, you are not wrong like this. It can be troubling to you, but it’s not bad or gross. You don’t have to do anything but don’t you think your body should provide you some kind of joy?”

"B-but how are you guys not bothered by this?" She raised her eyes to look briefly at Nyx and then land on Grant.

"I know I am a girl but I still have this thing and I don't even know what I want to call it!"

Grant smiled softly and motioned her over. “Why don’t you come lay with me for a moment?”

She looked at him skeptically. "You're not going to get too handsy before we finish talking?"

“No, I just want you to lay here with me.” He smiled invitingly.

She took a moment more to collect herself then stood up with a loud sniff. "You can stand up Nyx. I'm sorry I pushed you, I got really scared for a moment."

Nyx was still a little bit scared, he moved a bit out of the way. “It’s ok.” He said quietly.

“Come on.” Grant motioned to Hannah and gave the bed beside him a pat.

It was rather cramped with both of their large frames but they just managed to fit bunched up against each other. Hannah was obviously trying to be brave but it started shaking a little.

He smiled down at her. “Well hello there, sunshine. Glad you could join me.”

Hannah felt a shiver of happiness mixing with her nervous shakes. After a moment, both stopped. She was still distracted. She looked over at Nyx who was still looking a little shocked. "Are you sure you're all right?"

He gave a little nod. Any bit of attention he got from her left him with an anxiety that she would decide to lash out. “I’m ok.” He said, sinking into a little corner by the bed.

Grant gave him a firm look. "You are obviously very worried about something. You can relax, we're all being honest here. Did you get hurt?"

Nyx fidgeted with his hands some before he shook his head. “I’m fine.” He said, biting at the edges of his fingers some.

Grant had a look that managed to be both quizzical and troubled. Hannah was starting to look really concerned. There was another moment of silence.

Grant let out a sigh. "When you are ready to tell us what is wrong just let us know. We will here for you." He turned back to Hannah. "Now why would we be acting so interested in doing all this stuff with you if we didn't want to?"

Hannah fidgeted, looking for a response. "You feel bad for me and are trying to cheer me up?" She cringed as the thought finished. "Sorry! That sounded bad. I just don't see why anyone would want to do this stuff with me."

Grant couldn’t help but smile a bit. “Only thing I wanna do is let you know how pretty I think you are, Sunshine.”

The blush that threatened to cover her face did just that. She wiggled in the bed, unsure how to respond. She didn't realize that a smile had crept onto her face.

Grant hummed softly. “See? That feels good, huh? You like being a good girl and letting me call you pretty, right?”

"Stop it," she said without really meaning it, a smile still on her face. Her body language was shy but excited, almost playful.

“Oh, but I don’t think you want me to sweetheart.”

She wiggled next to him on the bed, then stopped short. "Nyx, was it something I said? I… I wanted what you were doing but I needed to talk a bit more before I could just jump in."

Nyx looked up and shuffled a bit on the floor. “Just…. I don’t know how to explain it.” He said. Or rather, he wasn’t sure they wanted to hear the real thing that had him panicked. “But I’m fine!”

"Nyx, you don't want to talk about it right now and that is okay but you are acting like someone just finished beating you. Please, at least do us the courtesy of not telling us you're okay when you're clearly not." Grant managed to keep his voice firm but open.

It took a moment for the words to settle into his brain but he finally gave a nod. “Yes, Grant.” He said softly and let his eyes fall again. He couldn’t help that he was sad but he had tried.

Grant took a long minute to decide what to do. A second later, he sat up with a small groan and threw his legs over the side of the bed. “Come here, kitten.” He motioned with his hand.

Nyx faltered a bit. “It’s ok, I-I’m ok—“ he tried to stammer.

“Do I need to tell you to move soldier?” He quirked a brow up.

Nyx blushed softly before he got up and made his way over.

“I know fear when I see it, Nyx. Lying to your friends about it isn’t helpful or nice. You’re better than that, kitten. Come on.” He said, giving his chin a little tap.

Nyx sniffled some, trying to be brave like Grant would be. “I’m sorry.”

“Does anybody here look mad?”

Nyx took a moment and shook his head.

“Then stop your apologies,” Grant said, giving Nyx a tissue to clean himself up with.

Hannah did not know what to say so she stayed quiet with a look of genuine concern on her face.

Nyx wiped his face with a couple of sniffles. Grant let him have his moment to calm down.

“Do you want a hug?” He offered.

Nyx gave a quick nod and Grant pulled him in.

“You’re ok.” Grant assured him

The bed was feeling a little crowded so Hannah started to get up.

Grant turned his attention towards her. “I don’t know where you think you’re going, sunshine, I haven’t forgotten you.”

She stopped and turned back to grimace at him but couldn't keep the firmness in her expression. "I just feel in the way at the moment."

“Well, you’re not. So settle back in, sweetheart.” He hummed before turning back to Nyx.

“Why don’t you go take a nap, hm? You’ve had an intense few days and I think the jump might be getting to you.”

“Yes Grant,” Nyx said in a soft voice, glad to have some real directions. He went and settled onto a soft bed, not crying or sniffling anymore.

Grant held the silence long enough to see Nyx’s breathing get slow and he turned to Hannah. “Poor guy. What happened on the elven homeworlds must’ve been hard.”

Hannah nodded. Her own path was full of troubles but she had never seen someone start shutting down that hard, not outside of combat anyway. Her motions were hesitant but she snuggled back up to Grant as he lay back down on the bed.

"If only we had a bed big enough for the three of us, we'd be so much more comfortable." Grant's tone implied more than just resting together.

Hannah nervously chuckled, distracted by how appealing that sounded. She did not expect that of herself.

Grant thought for a long moment and then got up. He went to Nyx’s bed and began to roll it over to theirs. He stirred a bit but Grant just ran a hand down his back for comfort.

“You’re ok. Shh.” He assured him. Soon, his bed was pressed into theirs and Grant got back down with Hannah

"Nyx, are there any curtains in here?"  Hannah asked, "I want to put some up around the beds so anyone passing can't just peek in through the window."

Nyx looked up and gave a nod. He fumbled for his control pad nearby and then made the curtains close and the lights dim.

Grant gives another of his hearty chuckles. "I didn't know there was a button for that kind of mood," he lightly teased.

Nyx stuck his tongue out at the man before he settled back into his bed.

Grant turned his attention to Hannah. “I don’t think he’d mind if we got a little closer.” He said, pressing up against her.

Hannah blushed at the contact but scooted over to accommodate until they were all nestled as close together as they could get. Grant noticed her lip trembling again.

Grant leaned down and kissed her softly. “You’re ok.” He said softly, glad they all had this time together.

Hannah's brain was still telling her that something was wrong, that she needed to fight or run from what was happening. She blushed a brilliant red and was too distracted by how good it felt to continue focusing on bad thoughts. Almost. "Are you sure this is okay? I know there aren't any rules against it but I-I never really expected this to happen to me, and definitely not so soon."

Grant moved himself to get between Hannah’s legs. “No one is gonna know, Sunshine. So just lay here and let me give you a good time.” He said, brushing some hair from her face.

Hannah was fighting hard against her reaction but managed to steal herself and stammer out, "I-if we are doing... that, could you... u-um... start up here? If that's okay?" She gestured towards her chest with a shaking hand.

Grant looked at her chest and then at her face. “Like this?” He asked and kissed her neck before kissing down across her collarbone to her chest.

She gave a loud gasp and started breathing quickly. She managed to say, "Y-yes, I t-think." She moved her arms to give him better access.

He grinned and began undoing her pants, still pressing soft kisses into her chest.

She started trying to fumble her shirt off, watching Grant very closely for any sign she should stop.

He smiled. “That’s the spirit, pretty girl.” He hummed before he slid her pants off and tossed them to the side.

Hannah was breathing really fast. She failed to get her shirt off and got flustered by Grant looking at her with obvious arousal.

“It’s ok, Sunshine.” He said and helped her get her shirt off before giving each of her breasts a kiss.

Hannah's eyes went wide and she let out a small cry. She had never felt anything like that, let alone with someone else's mouth on her. There was no reason her chest should have been so sensitive but she couldn't think straight with Grant's mouth on her.

Grant got her panties off and tossed them to the side. “You’re gonna make such pretty noises for me.”

She just squeaked in response, twitching a little with a desire her body felt even if her mind hadn't caught up. Her hands moved outwards, seeking stability, and accidentally brushed against Nyx.

Nyx let out a soft noise and rested his head in her hand, just enjoying the sight in front of him.

Once Grant felt Hannah was ready, he pulled his own pants off. He pulled some lube from who knows where and started covering himself and Hannah. A few seconds later, he was sinking slowly into her, still kissing her breasts.

Hannah only just managed to get her other hand over her mouth before she screamed. It was not from pain, just from the sheer overwhelming sensation of it all. There was pleasure there to be sure but there was also just... a lot. A small part of her didn't know if she could take it. The rest of her didn't want to stop.

Grant smirked at the noise she made before he began moving in and out of her at a strong, steady pace. “Good job, Sunshine.” He praised her and ruffled her hair.

Her hand fell from her mouth. She gave a small smile in reaction to the praise and touches but couldn't manage more than that. Her eyes began to unfocus as she moaned with every motion in and out of her.

“Good girl.” He grunted softly. “Helping me feel so much better already.” He said before he grabbed her hips and began to give her a solid fuck.

Hannah focused on Grant just long enough to squeak out, "w-why does you saying t-that feel so g-good?" her voice rose and fell in the with his thrusts.

He smirked broadly. “It’s cause you are a good girl.” He grunted as he hoisted one of her legs on his shoulder to drive deeper.

She gripped the edge of the bed with white knuckles, The other hand gently trapped by Nyx's face.

Grant was losing himself to the moment and let his head fall back.

“Nyx, be a good kitty and finish your friend off.” He said.

Nyx looked embarrassed and floundered for a moment.

“Nyx,” Grant said with a slightly firm edge he knew the elf would enjoy and be unable to say no to.

With that, Nyx scrambled to Hannah and began to use his mouth on her. Grant used his free hand to guide the boy at a little bit of a rougher pace.

Hannah gasped in a massive breath and was about to scream but Grant was faster. He let go of Nyx and carefully snapped his hand over Hannah's mouth to muffle the sound.

She didn't last more than a few seconds. She had hardly finished her scream before her back arched and she started twitching in the unmistakable throws of an orgasm. She came down Nyx's throat for the second time that day. Grant moved his hand to make sure that Hannah couldn't be too loud but also wouldn't have any trouble breathing.

Nyx did his due diligence in handling her orgasm, squirming softly on the bed. These two that he’d formed some level of admiration for were amazing and he let his hips sink to the bed, not removing his mouth just yet. A moment later, Grant finished deep inside of Hannah.

After Grant rode out his orgasm, he pulled out of Hannah slowly. Nyx timed letting her slide out of his mouth at the same time as Grant which caused Hannah to whimper in pleasure. Everyone took a moment to start catching their breath.

"Did you like that, Sunshine?" Grant asked, his voice a little husky.

Hannah managed to rouse herself much quicker this time. Her voice was quite breathy, "Y-yes. T-t-thank you."

She did not seem to have control of her legs which were still shaking but she used her arms to pull her face towards Nyx's. "N-nyx? C-can I please k-kiss you?" she asked with want in her voice and eyes.

Nyx blushed darkly at that but nodded and smiled. He moved in to press a kiss to her lips. It felt nice to get a little tenderness even though he loved the rough play.

Hannah reached to tangle her hand in the hair at the back of Nyx's head and hold their faces together. She kissed him like she had tossed her other cares away. Her grip was firm but her lips still trebled.

Grant smiled down at them. He also reached over to Nyx but his hand slid between the elf's legs and started teasing him with a pair of fingers. He moved around until he found a spot that had Nyx making tiny sounds between Hannah's rough kisses.

Nyx felt himself squirm at the sensation of Grant's hand. He got impossibly wet and let out a low whine into the kiss, grinding into the pleasure

Grant leaned over to tell Hannah, "Try nibbling his ear."

As she moved to do as instructed, Grant used his other hand to lift Nyx's hips up and push the now very wet fingers in.

Nyx let out a stream of pretty noises, fingers clawing at the bed. “Gr-Grant… Han…” he tried to whimper out around his whimpers of pleasure.

Hannah let go of Nyx's hair and started running her teeth over his ear. Seconds later she grabbed him by the ear to hold him and bit down on his neck, just enough to apply some sharp pressure. When Nyx's cry from that finally faded, Grant started changing the angle of his fingers, searching for the spots that produced the best noises. His firm hand held Nyx's hips almost completely immobile. "What do you want Kitten?" Grant asked.

Hannah's teeth and sucking had Nyx's mind soaring deep out into space. These two were having their fun and he couldn’t help but love it. He tried to form words but his mind was just a mush of pleasure.

Grant slowed his fingers just enough for the cries to become whimpers. Hannah released the place where she had left a hickey near the base of Nyx's neck and moved back to kissing. After a few frantic kisses, she pulled him back by the hair to look at her, her voice rising and falling with her gasps. "Answer him, pretty boy."

Nyx’s eyes were glossed over with pleasure and he tried hard to bring himself back to the room. “F-… fuck me,” he admitted in a broken whimper.

"Does the Kitten want one or two?" Grant asked, punctuating each number with a lightly firmer thrust.

Nyx let out a shaky noise and licked his lips. “Two pl-please.”

"Good boy. And does your mouth need a break?"

Nyx felt his mind getting overwhelmed again and he blinked a bit. “It… it can be used.”

Grant put his mouth right by Nyx's ear, "Good little Kitten." punctuating the words by abruptly pulling out of him. Grant picked Nyx up by his sides and spun him around so he was on all fours facing Grant who was on his knees. He looked past Nyx at Hannah, "Your legs work enough to sit up Sunshine?"

Hannah tested her legs and managed to get on her knees, already putting her hands on Nyx's hips.

Grant nodded and then sharply pulled up on Nyx's chin, being careful not to hurt his neck, and looked him in the eyes. "You have only been using your mouth on sweet Hannah you little tease. Do you want to know what she feels like back there and give me a turn with that mouth?"

Nyx couldn’t believe what was happening to him in that moment. “I didn’t mean to tease.” He whined softly, before arching his back a bit. “I’m ready.” He said resolutely, still keeping his eyes on Grant.

"You are doing such a good job Kitten," Grant said, gently stroking Nyx's hair, "I am so glad you felt like joining us."

He looked up at Hannah who was watching for Grant's lead but obviously very eager to continue.

"Go gentle on him until he starts moving his hips for more."

Hannah nodded and rubbed herself on Nyx's wetness until she could start to smoothly slide in.

Grant looked back down at Nyx. "Tap my side if it is too much or you want it to stop, we will listen right away, you understand?" he asked in a soft tone that matched his smile.

Nyx whined softly as he felt Hannah moving into him but it felt so good. His fingers steadied himself on the bed and he looked up at Grant with soft eyes.

“I understand.” He said before he opened his mouth like a good kitty.

"Same thing as with Hannah, I will be soft until you start moving to ask for more." He slowly slid into the little elf's mouth until he bumped the back of his throat. Grant and Hannah started moving together at the same speed. At first, they alternated their penetration. Then Grant checked Nyx's reaction and changed so they both slid out and in at the same time, pushing into him from both sides.

Nyx kept his jaw slack and open for Grant's cock, drool running down his chin some. With that, he began to move into Hannah’s thrusts a bit, letting out quiet little whimpers.

Hannah picked up on the motion and started going harder with each thrust, holding back just enough as not to shove Nyx forward. Her eyes were a little hazy and she moaned in time with Nyx.

Nyx’s legs shook a bit with the effort and he looked up at Grant with needy eyes. He couldn’t help it when he gagged a bit but he didn’t dare move away.

Grant pulled back for a moment giving Nyx a window to breathe amidst the cute sounds he was making. He then eased back into Nyx's mouth and stopped just long enough for Nyx to make a needy sound. Grant buried his hands in the hair on both sides of Nyx's head, firmly holding him in place, and started to move in time with Hannah again. He was gentle for a few thrusts and then started tugging the elf's hair with more force.

Hannah's moans went up in pitch and she more forcefully grabbed Nyx's hips, pushing into him again and again. She was not going to last much longer. With how well Nyx was taking it, Grant was not going to last much longer either.

Nyx felt a blush covering his cheeks while he was getting absolutely used  He loved every second. A moment later, he came hard with a cry around Grant's cock, his body shaking with pleasure

The sensation of Nyx clamping down on her sent Hannah over the edge. Her fingers dug into Nyx's hips to the point they might leave bruises. She pushed into him with a few more forceful thrusts and stopped all the way inside.

Before Nyx's orgasm stopped rolling over him, Grant sped up then pushed deep into Nyx's throat. He let the orgasm take him for a few seconds before pulling out so Nyx could breathe.

Hannah slumped forward, still inside of Nyx, her arms bracing herself on either side of him. With a loud gasp, she managed to pull herself out and slump sideways onto the bed.

Nyx didn’t dare move from the spot as he felt his thighs soaked and dripping. He kept his eyes on Grant, still needy for his approval.  “Thank you.” He said, voice still a little hoarse

"Thank you, Kitten. I feel better with you two than I have in a long time." He ruffled Nyx's hair and tried to get his breath to level out. "Do you two want to cuddle or get clean first?"

Nyx turned to Hannah and then quickly ducked to cuddle up against her. “You can cuddle too.” He muttered from his position

"Both of your roll over," Grant instructed. They both listened and then he nestled in behind Nyx, gently squishing him between his and Hannah's larger bodies.

Nyx squirmed a bit and he gave Hannah a soft kiss before leaning back to kiss Grant as well

Hannah sighed and snuggled in a little more. Looking delightfully worn out.

Grant smiled and planted a few more kisses on the top of Nyx's head. "Everybody good?"

Nyx wiggled his hips a bit and smiled. “All good.”

Hannah just hummed contentedly.

They all relaxed there for a bit but Grant didn't want them to fall asleep when they were all still a mess. He slowly got them up and got them through the small medbay shower on wobbly legs. Nyx show them where the replacement bed covers were and they worked together to change the sheets.

They were able to all cuddle together, Grant in the middle with an arm around each of them.

"Thank you both for today," Grant said, his voice full of honest affection. "Not only did you save my life you both blew my mind, twice." He pulled them both a little closer with a contented hum that rumbled through all their bodies.

Chapter Text

The medbay came out of lockdown the next morning. They were far from where they started in space but still in the middle of nowhere. Nyx settled into his routine work around the medbay

Hannah woke up looking somewhat troubled and confused although she didn't seem to be upset about it. She didn't say much as she helped Nyx tidy up the space. Grant had just left to get them their next meal of rations.

"I really wish I didn't have to be on duty right now." Hannah sighed.

Nyx turned his eyes to her before he moved in closer. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “You’ve got this.” He smiled

She smiled but then her face fell again. "I have a lot of thinking to do. Good thing I'll have nothing to occupy my time but staring into the void."

Nyx blinked a bit. “You feeling ok?” He asked

"I just... I feel good, a little sore, but good. I just don't know how to feel that good with all this," she said with a frustrated gesture to her body. "I need some time to think first."

“I uh.” He said softly. “I understand. We… we have some medicine on board to help with that.”

"Really?" She asked, "it's not going to mess with my focus on duty, will it? I would get no end of hell for that."

“No, it’s a very simple calming agent. If anything, you’ll be more focused on your duties.” He hummed as he pulled the little blue drink out.

"Thank you," she said warmly, "is that a drink or an injection?"

“A little shot, like the ones you get at bars.” He chuckled. “Not that I would know anything about that.” He whistled innocently.

Hannah worked an eyebrow before taking the small bottle and downing its contents. At the same time, Grant walked in carrying their rations and looking like he was about to crack wise.

Nyx wiggled a bit at the sight of rations and ate his with a happy little hum. “Maybe soon we can find a home planet and grow some organic food.” He said quietly.

"Fat chance of that!" Grant said, handing out the rations. "The next jump is in 30 minutes. You better get going, Hannah."

Hannah nodded and absently bit into her ration bar as she stretched. She was caught off guard when Grant stuck his own ration bar in his mouth and used his hands to ruffle both their hair. "You two doing alright after last night?"

Nyx looked over to Hannah and then gave his own nod. “Doing fine,” he hummed.

Grant gave Nyx a serious smile looking him right in the eye. "Captain wants me back on a gun as well for this jump. Are you going to be all right without either of us here?"

Nyx gave a little nod. “I’ll be just fine, Grant. I’m sure someone will have jump sickness for me to deal with.”

"All right, we will see you as soon as we are off duty. We should all have a healthy talk and maybe some more fun if everyone's in the mood." He and Hannah each headed to their turret gun with about 20 minutes to spare.

The captain made his usual announcement and everyone braced for the jump. As soon as the ship stabilized alarms started going off throughout the ship. It was a proximity alert. They had come out of jump right next to a small fleet of affini ships.

The captain shouted for Battle stations but everyone was already where they needed to be. The ship pulled around hard to the side and they started powering up the jump drive again.

One of the nearest affini ships moved what seemed impossibly fast towards them, obviously prepared for boarding. Grant and Hannah started firing everything they had. When they even managed to score a hit the damage was almost entirely superficial.

The front of the affini ship glowed and a bolt of energy streaked towards them and directly impacted the ship. Everything immediately went dark.

Hannah did everything she could to get a response from her gun but she knew it was hopeless. After an EMP hit, nothing would work properly. She jumped up, already on the edge of panic. She had heard that the affini didn't harm anyone but she hadn't worked out her thoughts on the matter. She'd been going for a while on the idea that it was better to be free to choose than to be certain but captive.

A large impact shattered through the ship as the vines of the affini ship latched on. Hannah drew her sidearm and her thoughts immediately went to Nyx. Heedless of anything else, she started feeling her way through the ship back towards the medbay.

___

At first, it was a casual day in the medbay. A little sudoku to pass the time, glancing at the passing time on the clock, run-of-the-mill stuff. When they came out of the jump and the shrill siren of the proximity alarm hit, Nyx felt his heart nearly leap out of his chest. Scrambling, he was only mere seconds late to reseal the medbay as the lights went off. Cursing, he went to the medbay armory and hauled out an assault rifle. He’d never killed anyone— anything. Could he?

Bracing himself on the wall with the rifle to his chest, he uttered a small prayer his mother taught him. What bits he could remember anyway… “Great Mother, give me the courage and pride to defend my people. May we know peace after all.”

___

Hannah stumbled through the hallways. She bumped into several other crew. Everything was in chaos. She eventually got to the hallway outside the medbay. Someone else was at the far end of the hall. There was just enough light to see the glint of something silver in their hand.

Dan was walking menacingly towards her.

Before he could get past the door to the medbay, someone else appeared behind him and started running forward. The silhouette was unmistakably Grant. "Grant lookout! He has a knife!"

Hannah couldn't tell if Dan's knife swipe had missed. Grant wound up to deliver a powerful punch but missed. He used the momentum to put some space between them. He turned and glared at the man, not noticing the bit of blood trickling out of his side where the blade had glanced in the swing.

Nyx felt cold ice run through his veins as those drills he hated ran through his muscles. Moving swiftly, he took up a position beside the door and steadied himself. “Hannah, be careful! Remember what I gave you earlier!” He called out. Even the small dose anti-anxiety meds would clear her head.

Hannah sprinted forward, easily sidestepping where Grant staggered against the wall and tried to land a flying kick on Dan. Her kick caught him right in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and slamming him against the wall. The knife tumbled from his fingers.

Grant staggered over a second later landing a heavy blow on Dan's head to make sure he was out and not just dazed. He found the knife and turned towards the medbay door, "Come on, let's get inside."

"Nyx! We got him! We're coming in."

Nyx rounded the corner to meet them and had a very worried look on his face. “Rifles are in the locker there!”

"Are there any gas masks?" Grant asked, his voice just firm enough to give the others a bit of confidence. Hannah came back from the locker with a rifle for herself and Grant.

Nyx tried to think. “Down the hall two doors on the left… near the escape pods I think are the closest ones.” He was so flustered he nearly dropped his rifle. “But the pods won’t work, Grant,” he whispered. Tears welled up in his eyes starting to streak down his cheeks. “I’m gonna fucking kill any god damn plant that steps foot on this ship!” He tried to shout but the tears clogged his power.

"What do you two think?" Grant asked. "Make our stand here or make a run for the masks?"

"We can't fight if we are drugged. Let's run for the masks and then find a good hole to hide in." They both turned to Nyx.

For a moment, time stopped around him.

*Its spring time in the gardens. His mother's laughter fills his ears as she plays tag with him. The flowers were so pretty in full bloom. He thinks he’s small enough to hide behind them but she always finds him, scooping him up.*

*“You’ll do well as a scout; your feet are quick.” She taps his nose.*

*His father comes out of the house, fear and worry clouding his expression.*

*“You two have to make a run for the border town. That’s where the ships are for women and children.”*

“This ends now.” Nyx announces and starts the march to find the masks, every trace of fear fleeing his body.

Nyx led the way as they burst out of the medbay and past the still unconscious body of Dan. The affini had almost definitely breached the ship by now. A sound that must have been their plasknifes came from one of the hallways they passed.

They made it to the escape pod room in record time. Sure enough, all the escape pods were non-functional. There was a cabinet with a small pile of gas masks, several of them having spilled on the floor. The air had just started taking on a sweet scent as they each managed to strap a mask on. A loud clatter of metal came from the direction of the hallway they passed.

Grant and Hannah turned back to Nyx for instructions.

Nyx froze for a moment. “You two should look for any kind of way out you can. It is my duty to protect my people. That would be you. I’ll hold them off as long as I can.” He said, preparing himself at the door.

"We got nowhere else to go so we're staying with you," Grant said. He upended the cabinet that had held the masks in front of one of the escape pod entrances and then clambered over it, gesturing for them to follow. They all piled behind the cabinet and train their rifles on the entrance to the room.

The time seemed to linger for a moment, almost as if stopped. The seconds dragged by until a pretty hand with red orchids hanging from it stuck into the open space of the door, holding a white flag.

“Your compatriots have all been captured. We mean you no harm and could only ask you to extend that same courtesy. However, the room is surrounded and we can extract you if necessary. We would like it if you just came with us though.” The voice was soft, feminine, and very alien.

"Does that white flag change anything? Are we still shooting up the first thing to move out there?" Hannah asked with panic in her voice, her words distorted by the filters of the mask.

"We can't just lie down and let them take us. We've already gone too far in their eyes. I want to take some with us," Grant said, keeping his rifle trained on the entrance.

A second affini voice came from beyond the door, "We only desire your safety but we can only guarantee it if you put down your weapons. Surrender and no harm will come to you."

Nyx swallowed thickly. “Just think about it…” he whispered. “The whole ship is caught. What are we really gonna do? At least if we’re alive… well, just think about it!” He insisted without saying his real intentions.

"I-I I think he's right Grant. We c-can't beat t-them," her voice cracked with tears as her composure broke. Her rifle shook dangerously as the tears turned into hysterical sobs.

Grant gripped his gun so hard it looked like he might snap it but then he slumped down in defeat. "I can't take them alone. If it's what you want I'll tell them we surrender." He spoke up so his voice carried to the doorway, "We surrender!" He threw his gun towards the middle of the room with a loud clatter and stood up to climb over the barrier.

A tall figure entered the room, disrupting the cloud of spores that was beginning to visibly clog the air. “Dear sophonts, oh look at you… oh please, come. Our xenoveternarians can help stabilize your mood and health… this ship is not healthy for you,” she cooed.

A second figure followed the first saying, "Please remove your masks. These xenodrugs will help you to relax right away so we can get started on helping you."

Hannah continued sobbing uncontrollably, not processing anything that was happening around her.

The first plant monster looked over at the crying girl with something like pity. She sighed softly, eyes twinkling a bit. She made her way over and took Hannah’s mask off, letting the drugs flow to her. “Poor thing."

Nyx slunk behind Grant. “I-I’m scared, Grant.” He whimpered out a whisper. They were all huge… so much bigger than he could have imagined.

Grant put a gentle hand on him. “We’ll go, but the boy stays near me.” He said, kneeling down and motioned Nyx onto his back.

Nyx climbed on for the carry.

The rifle was easily pulled from Hannah's hands and her sidearm was pulled out of its holster. As she breathed in the xeno drugs she found her whole body growing heavy and she started to fall forward. The first creature picked Hannah up as the girl's sobs faded into whimpers. She handed the girl to another monster that had followed the others.

The second figure reached out several vines toward Grant's and Nyx's masks. "Let me get those for you. We will be able to talk things over once you are all safe."

Grant growled a bit. “You don’t touch either of us and I carry him onto your ship. We’re coming but it’s on our terms.” He said, standing with Nyx clutching his back.

“Grant…” Nyx whimpered, tension filling his bones.

“It’s ok, kitten. I’m right here. Just hide your face, ok?” He said, and Nyx ducked his face into the crook of Grant's neck.

Grant stared down the lead Affini with malice in his eyes. “Lead the way, please. Not like I know your ship.”

The plant considered this for a moment.

The second plant's vines hesitated close to their masks. "We do not desire to go against your wishes but you really must allow us to remove your masks. You are displaying signs of elevated stress and we want to help you with that." They tentatively moved her Vines forward again.

Grant jerked his head away. “I’m not allowing anyone to come between me and him… he stays with me, and I’ll carry him onto the ship.”

The lead plant hummed a bit. “Very well. But, I must warn you,” she said to Grant. “Any sign of harm to you or others will authorize force. Do you understand?” She asked.

He nodded.

As they turned to go, something caught the second plant's eyes "Terran, what is that on your belt?" Everyone froze and focused on Grant.

Grant tried to stand firm, Nyx making scared sounds on his back. “Nothing you’ve got reason to be concerned with.” He said as resolutely as he could

The plant's vines rippled insistently. "If you are in possession of a weapon you must place it on the ground immediately."

Nyx could sense the tension and whimpered. Grant quirked a brow up. “Just a tool that has no use right now.” He raised his chin.

"I am afraid that cannot be permitted." Faster than Grant could react there was a blur of vines and the knife was removed from Grant's belt and sucked into the plant's vine body. At the same time another vine with a needle buried directly into Grant's Arm. He was caught by one of the other affini and carried away.

The first two plants turned back to Nyx. "I am so sorry you have had to go through this little one. Could you please be a good boy for me and remove your mask so I can help you?"

Vines had caught Nyx as he had slid off Grant's back. He saw Grant being taken away and pulled away to climb up on the cabinet with a shout. Tears streamed down his face as he stomped a foot hard into the bed. “Let him go! You monsters!” He snarled and threw the first thing he could reach on his belt. He felt so small and powerless again as he shook with the cries. “Please…” he begged as he felt his legs begin to buckle.

The second plant grabbed the medical scanner out of the air and set it gently aside. It filled its words with soothing tones. "He will be well cared for and quite all right little one, just as you will be. It will be a bit before you see him but if you take off your mask I can help make sure it will be that much sooner." It waited just out of arms reach as if waiting for permission to further approach.

Nyx watched the plant monster's face, studying its body. What choice did he really have? It was just gonna do what it did to Grant anyways. Grant was depending on him now. Staying conscious was his best hope.

"C-can I please stay a-awake a little l-longer?” He asked in a broken tone.

"As long as you do not fight it I can give you much less sedative than he got," the plant said in a tone that sent shivers down Nyx's spine.

“What do you want? I-I don’t know anything. I was just a medic. P-please don't d-drug me yet.” He scrambled for words.

The plant hesitated before speaking softly. "Come with me." It placed a large hand on the small of Nyx's back and led him towards the exit.

"Tizrin!" The first plant snapped. "That is not permitted. What are you doing?"

The plant leading Nyx responded kindly. "I am going to try something else to help him. I have it covered."

"Be careful," The other plant called after them.

"My name is Tizrin, little one. Let me take you somewhere comfortable to talk." The plant spoke like it was trying to comfort a scared animal.

They entered the affini ship and stepped into a room with a bed and a lot of subdued colors on the walls. Nyx was guided to sit on the edge of the bed. Tizrin sat down next to the elf, leaving her arm open in an offer for Nyx to sit close to her. "All I want is to take care of you. You are going to be my pet after all."

Nyx’s will faltered a bit as she sat down and he bit his lower lip. He looked to the door and then at her, worrying over what decision to make. Without even realizing it, he moved up onto his knees a bit closer to her. “You’re… gonna be nice?” He asked, feeling the stab of betrayal hit his heart. But what was he to do?

"Of course," Tizrin said, her voice overflowing with welcoming warmth. "There will be some rules but I will do everything I can to help you be happy."

Nyx swallowed thickly before he moved to press up against her body. It felt oddly comfortable despite her unusual appearance. By her side, he felt so small that he almost felt like he needed her protection. Almost.

The affini held him close, slowly reclining him to more of a cuddling position. It started running soothing fingers through his hair.

Nyx's breathing staying very fast until the plant started playing with his hair. Then, something strange happened and he felt himself begin to relax softly into her vines. He’d never imagined himself in this position but he was cuddled up and she wasn’t treating him awful yet. “When can I see Grant and Hannah?” He whimpered

Tizrin kept up playing with the little boy's hair. "If all of you behave you will be able to see them very soon. Do you want something to help you take a nap so you can relax and be ready to see them sooner?"

The sensation of vines and other plants was making it hard for Nyx to think of much beyond how good and relaxing it felt. Nyx wiggled inside her arms and vines, letting out a small sigh. “Grant…. Hannah…” he tried to mutter out to her but his mind was clouded. All he wanted was rest. “Yes.” He whispered. “A nap would be good.”

"Good boy," she cooed, stroking the side of his face. "Your friends are safe and you will be able to see them again." She subtly pricked his leg with a vine to give him just enough class Z to ensure a peaceful sleep. As his eyes fluttered shut she swept him up into her arms and rocked him gently until she was sure he was asleep. She pulled out a collar and a full set of cuffs, carefully winding each of them on before gently laying Nyx out on the bed.

Chapter Text

Hannah woke slowly feeling more rested than she had in a long time. Her muscles were so relaxed that it made her body feel heavy in a comfortable way. She stirred and managed to push herself upright wondering if Nyx had found sleep as good as she had. Then she remembered what had happened and froze with fear.

Latalla monitored Hannah very closely, her vitals displayed on the tablet she held. Her fingers tapped through her file, before clicking back to those of her compatriots. She’d have to make stops to check on them as well. For now, she watched her pretty petal rise up, the the chain to her collar rattling gently.

“I’m glad you’re awake now, petal. We are beginning our ascent back to the flotilla and then from there, we head home to the colony. How was your rest?”

Hannah started to panic, or rather she tried to. Whatever is still in her system stopped her from losing control. She felt unfamiliar weights on her wrist, neck, and ankles. She looked along the length of chain to stare into the face of the affini in the chair.

Something inside of her cracked. She had failed. She started shaking. feeling utterly defeated.

Vitals rising… stress displayed… pitiful. Latalla made a few taps and the cuffs released a slow, small dose of class E into her.

“My name is Latalla Mora, sixth bloom. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hannah. I’ve waited a while for this day. You’re every bit the pretty petal I’d hoped you’d be.” She hummed softly.

Hannah tried crawling backward but quickly came to the end of the leash and tipped over sideways. The heavy, relaxed feeling increased its weight on her and she was almost unable to prop herself up to get the affini back in her field of view.

She knew she was on a bed but was having trouble focusing on her surroundings. "Www-wehre aammm I," she slurred, her mouth not working quite as she wanted.

Latalla watched Hannah, making sure she stayed safe on the bed. “You’re in a very safe place. For now, we are here in this chamber together. But I promise very soon you will get to be home. I really think you are going to like it.” She said.

She released a bit of class A along with some Z to help her sleep. “It feels good to rest in bed here, doesn’t it?”

Hannah knew that she was being drugged, there was no other explanation for the unusual changes in her feelings. Nevertheless, she did have to acknowledge that the bed felt good. More sleep would be nice. "N-no," she struggled to say, still only managing to speak just above a whisper. She wanted to choose for herself! She could not take that from her yet...

Latalla smiled softly. “It’s ok, petal. Just let yourself drift and when you wake up again, we can get to know one another.” She said, vines moving to tuck Hannah in.

Hannah fought hard to stay conscious. She had no strength left to fight the vines moving her. All she could do was stare daggers at the affini. She didn't care how they did things around here, they could have sat her down and talked to her before putting her little leash like a pet!

Latalla could sense the tension. “Petal, be a good girl and close your eyes, please. Your body needs time to adjust. Besides, I’m reading your sleep chart and… it needs some work.” She hummed.

The thought of giving in felt so nice. A part of her just big enough to stand out could recognize that it was not natural. While the affini's words had a powerful effect on her, she still fought with everything she had. It was not long until the drugs finally overcame her and she drifted back to sleep.

Latalla had a big grin on her face as she stood up and moved to adjust her cute pet's cuffs.

---

Slowly, Nyx slowly started to be aware of the room. His senses tingled as he wiggled a bit. The feeling of jewelry on his wrists and neck was an odd one to him. He tried to sit up but when he did he only managed to slump forward in the process.

“Gah.. uh, Han—uhhh… I.. I told you we shouldn’t dr..-ink like that.” He giggled, thinking this was nothing more than a hangover.

"Nyx? Is that you waking up?" Came a voice from the next room. "Just relax a moment more and I will be right there."

Nyx huffed softly and pushed forward until he noticed… it wasn’t jewelry. It was a collar. He fell onto his back and blushed, trying to get a better look at it. “What the fuck?” He asked before he rolled over noticing his cuffs for the first time.

The door to the room opened and Tizrin strolled in with a beaming smile. "Good morning, my little one. How did you sleep?"

Nyx was still a bit groggy from sleeping. “Oh no,” he said, the words came out slightly slurred. He pushed himself up the bed and tugged his knees up to his chest.

Tizrin watched him closely. "Would you like to talk first, have something to eat, or maybe you just want some more cuddles?"

Nyx finally had some more nerve than he did the night before. He wasn’t as utterly broken and he stared at Tizrin with malicious intent. “How about you go fuck yourself? If plants can even do that!” He snarled.

Tizrin did not flinch but did give a sigh, her smile never wavering. "I am sorry to hear that pet. Would you mind telling me why you think this way?"

Nyx couldn’t believe this! “I’m not a pet!” He announced. “And you and all your little plant buddies are gonna be real sad when we figure a way out of this.”

Tizrin walked to stand by the bed just within her arm's reach of Nyx. "You are my pet and there is no changing that. The sooner you accept it, and several other things, the sooner we can work on seeing your friends. That is what you wanted, is it not?"

“No.” He said as he stood up and threw the pillow at her. God, she was tall. “I’m a free Terran and I’ll see them as I like!” He huffed

"I am afraid I have to confine you to this room until I can make sure that you can take care of yourself. Disobedient pets that are a danger to themselves are not allowed to play with friends. All your needs will be met and that fact will not change but I need you to accept some things before we can have fun."

Nyx trembled a bit before he moved to back himself into a corner. He was trying to be brave still but that burst of adrenaline was starting to waver a bit. His lip wobbled slightly. “I wanna go home.” He tried to state firmly.

Tizrin sat down on the bed and left her arm open invitingly again. "My sweet pet, you are home. This is just the bedroom that we will share but I am certain you will like what you find in the main room. We can even go out there today, if you are good."

Nyx watched her closely before he licked his lips. “I want Hannah and G-Grant.” He tried to bargain with her.

"Soon, little one. I am not fond of repeating myself but I am happy to be patient with you as you learn. First things first, are you hungry?"

He blushed darkly and sunk down in the corner, wrapping his arms around his knees. “I’m not… I’m not little.” He said, trying to be resolute.

Tizrin couldn't resist stretching out a vine and gently stroking her pet's hair. "That is okay my pet. You are little to me but with good behavior, I will make sure nothing you want is out of your reach. I will work with you as long as you need but you are the only one stopping you from having what you want."

The feeling of vines in his hair felt good for some odd reason and his shoulders dipped a bit, relaxing slightly. All he wanted was Hannah and Grant again… even the cramped quarters of the ship were enough. His eyes went a bit soft with the relaxing feeling flowing through him. He tried to form words of defiance but nothing real came out.

"Oh, you poor thing. Come here." She said, beckoning him over. "I can give you something to help you relax, something to help you feel better, or I can help you get all those feelings out."

Nyx knew he had no real choice in the matter. He could keep fighting but that would get him nowhere. He felt humiliated at how easily his fighting spirit had been broken. He let out a soft sigh and moved to sit near her, looking at his feet.

"Good boy Nyx," she said fondly, snuggling him up to her side with a few vines caressing him. "So good for coming when I said." She continued petting his hair and enjoying his reaction as he relaxed fully into it.

Nyx blushed even more at that, whimpering at the feelings of those vines…. Knowing they were going to defeat his will. “I wanna…” he tried to protest but the words just wouldn’t come

"Yes dear?," Tizrin encouraged. "Go ahead, you can say it."

Nyx looked down to his feet, feeling like he wasn’t supposed to say it. “I wanna see Hannah and Grant.”

"I know you do little one. I want you to see them as well. Let me get you something to eat and then we can talk about how soon you can see them." She rose, carrying Nyx with her carefully supported by her vines, and strolled to the far side of the room buy a large rectangular device with an open space in the middle. "What would you eat for breakfast if you could have anything? I heard that Terrans are fond of horseradish dumplings."

Nyx felt silly being carried by her like this. He wiggled a bit and then looked down at the device with a tad bit of curiosity. “No!” He giggled a bit. “Cereal could be nice!”

Tizrin smiled and rubbed his cheek affectionately. She gave some instructions to the compiler and a bowl of crispy cereal with milk appeared in the machine. She gently sat Nyx on the floor, put a small box in front of him as a flat surface, and placed the cereal on it. She say down on the far side of the box and faced him with a quiet smile.

Nyx looked down at the cereal. It looked yummy — like the kind his mother gave him.

*It’s early morning with the sun rays peeking over the mountain range in the distance. He giggled loudly as he raced to the table and propped himself up on his knees in a chair. “I wanna pour!” He announced!

*”Very careful, sweetheart. It’s heavy.” His mother said but gave him the support needed to pour the milk.

He takes a slow, careful bite of the cereal in front of him.

"Good boy Nyx," Tizrin praised again with genuine affection. "So good for eating when you are hungry." Flickers of gold and green cascaded around her blue eyes as she stared down at him with adoration.

Nyx swallowed slowly, a blush rising to his cheeks as the Affini praised him. He squirmed softly, looking up at her. He took another slow bite, relishing the flavor before he looked up for more of that sickly, sweet approval.

"Go on," she encouraged. "Finish your food and we can talk about some rules and how we can get you to see your friends as soon as possible."

Nyx blinked a bit before he took another large spoonful of cereal. He continued eating then looked up at as he finished the last bite. "All done.” He announced proudly.

"Good boy," Tizrin said, giving Nyx the hair ruffle he was already craving. She cleared away the dish and box before turning back to him, still sitting a few feet away.

"Rules? I don't want to follow rules, I want to see my friends!"

"Yes, my pet, rules. They will be fair, you will be rewarded for obeying them, and they are all for your own good.
First and foremost my name is Tizrin Lazith, Sixth Bloom. You shall call me Mistress unless you are instructed otherwise. Do you understand?"

Nyx blinked a few times at that and his face screwed up a bit at that. “I… why?” He asked in regards to the rule.

"Because little one, you must do as I say and it is proper for a pet to respect their Mistress. Can you please say 'I understand Mistress'?"

Nyx swallowed thickly. He really didn’t want to utter those words. He simply flipped down and rolled over with his face on the ground. “No, I don’t wanna.” He replied in a grumble.

"Why?" Tizrin asked, her tone no less comforting or friendly.

He lay there, feeling defeated. “Then that means we lose.” He grumbled softly.

"And what is it that you would lose?" She was determined to find out what trouble her pet so she could start helping him with it as soon as possible.

“Our… freedom! The right to… ourselves!” He half pouted up at her, humiliated that a pout was the best anger he could manage.

"The rest of humanity has accepted their place. Only a handful of distant rebels like you and your friends are still trying to live things the old way. What is it that you are looking for that I can not give you?"

Nyx felt defeat pulse through him as he lay over on his side. “I just wanna go home.” He said in a quiet, soft voice. But he didn’t mean the spaceships or even the army.

*The air had a crisp quality in the mornings of the mountains. It felt… smooth. Nyx loved to jump from rock to rock when mom and dad would bring him hiking through these trails, playing funny little games with himself.*

"I am sorry little one but that is one of the few things that is not possible." She swept him up in her vines and deposited him on the bed. She continued gently stroking him with her vines. "This is your home now."

Nyx felt tears well up in his eyes, old emotions tearing their way out of his chest. He wiggled on the bed and sat up. “I’m just... why?” He fussed, losing all sense of reason.

"Because it is what's best for everyone. Your old government lied to you and tricked you just so you would go and fight for them in a battle that could not be won. Many will be allowed to continue their lives. Those that are a potential risk to themselves and those around them must be properly taken care of. I am not here to fight or humiliate you. I just want you to be as happy as you can be with the reality you are faced with.
Would you like to keep talking or would you like to take a break and think for a bit? You may take your time if you wish but I will not be able to let you see your friends until you obey certain rules and accept certain realities." She tried to lay it all out clearly for the poor elf even though she feared she was being too wordy for his tired brain.

Nyx blinked at her a few times and contemplated his options. He looked around the room, listening to her talking but trying to plot out his options. He twisted his mouth up a bit and then had a plan. Blanket to confuse… head for the door panel… run like hell.

"I can see you thinking about running little one. You are welcome to move around this room but you are not allowed to leave until we finish our talk. Would you like something to help you calm down?" As she spoke she held up a Vine with a pretty flower on it, revealing a needle at the center of its end.

Nyx squeaked and moved away from the vine. Panic rose at what kind of drug it could hold this time and he pulled the pillow in front of himself as protection.

“No, Mistress!”

He cursed himself for slipping so hard.

Tizrin immediately lowered the vine, her smile returning in full force. "Good boy Nyx! I am so proud of you. I can not take you to your friends yet but how about as a reward I show them to you?"

Nyx swallowed thickly at the praise and wiggled a bit. “R… really? Like for real?” He asked, almost in disbelief.

"But of course. I will always reward your good behavior my little sweet." She pulled out a tablet from among her vines and quickly started tapping on it. Seconds later she gestured and several images were projected in front of Nyx." It looks like they're both still sleeping at the moment but as you can see they are both perfectly fine." As she said Nyx had a good view of Hannah and Grant both tucked into similar beds, both wearing similar collars. Hannah's appeared to have a chain connected to it.

Nyx moved forward a bit. They were the only people that had really ever meant something to him, other than those early days back home. He wiggled before settling down. “I don’t like being stuck here…” He whined.

"If you continue to address me properly and agree to several other points of discussion then we can have you out of this room within the hour. If your good behavior keeps up after that then we can venture outside and see some of the wonderful sights."

"As for the xenodrugs, you will not be given any that have lasting effects without it being talked over with you first. There are several that you can have access to almost anytime you want, if you have behaved. I also reserve the right to use whatever xenodrugs I deem necessary to ensure your happiness and well-being. I can guarantee you'll like the sensation of class A if you want to try it."

Nyx saw that as a movement forward and the plot began to swirl in his mind again. He did his best to keep his face neutral as he sat forward and blinked a bit.

“What other points?”

"You must continue to address me properly and show respect to other affini and florets. Lastly, you must repeat to me your new name. Do these things and we can go out into the main room."

Nyx blushed softly as the rules were laid out for him but he gave a slight nod. “And… what is my new name?”

"You are Nyx Lazith, First Floret."

Chapter Text

Latalla began to release a slow stream of the class Z counteragent into Hannah, waking her from her slumber. “Petal, it’s time to wake up. I thought you might like a nice stretch.” She hummed.

When Hannah came to, everything was slow and heavy including her thoughts. She must have overslept her shift again. She started trying to push herself up despite the pure weariness weighing her down. She was almost to the edge of the bed before she realized where she actually was.

“Hi there, sweetie. I’m glad you got a nice nap.” A vine moved to give Hannah a pat on the head and ruffle her hair ever so slightly.

She did not move in reaction to being touched. The fear crashed into her first, freezing her in place. Second, came the anger, causing her to shake and tremble. Within seconds, she was already feeling sadness bordering on despair. Only the still present effects of whatever sedation this plant had given her from going to pieces. She just continued to stay still on all fours near the edge of the bed.

Latalla glanced at the tablet and confirmed that her cutie was feeling almost nothing but stress. She wanted to see if she could try something else before giving the girl more class E. She entered a command and the monitor cuff on Hannah's wrist released a dose of class H.

As the tired weight continued to lessen Hannah felt a new sensation like she just wanted to sit there and let her brain wander. She didn't even know what is was and fell fully under the Xenodrugs control before she could consider how to fight. She just lay down sideways thinking about nothing and starting to drool.

“That’s a good, good petal.” She hummed softly before she sat down. “I know you view me as a threat but I need that to stop.” She said in a soft voice. “When you wake from this little slumber, your mind is going to see me as the helper that I am. You will see me as your gardener, shaping you into the best little floret you can be.”

A moment later, she released the antidote. She knew such a light suggestion would not hold for long but she did not need long to make progress.

The haze ended and Hannah once again felt like her well rested self. Her body still felt strained and there was some mix of emotions within her that she didn't remember. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, oblivious to her surroundings.

“Hello there, sweet petal. How’re you feeling?” Latalla asked

"Stressed, anxious I guess..." She trailed off and looked up at Latalla with a frown. "Who?..." she asked, trying hard to remember where she knew this plant from. Plant... Plant! She focused on the affini's eyes with confused anger in her own. "W-what are you doing to me?" she asked, slipping more towards fear again.

“I haven’t done anything. You’re quite alright. Actually getting a bit healthier over time. There has been a small improvement in vitals already. A moment later, some class D slipped into her system through the cuff. “Why don’t you tell me what bothers you?”

"I don't want to talk," she said trying to slip malice into her tone. Yet another sensation was beginning to spread throughout her body. It calmed her down the way she did not expect causing her to start relaxing despite her better judgment. She frowned for a moment and then scowled up at the affini. "What is this feeling?" Her tone had already lost most of its bite and she found herself almost absently curious.

“It’s a feeling of… not being held back.” She described, trying to avoid using big words. “You should be able to tell me what is bothering you.”

Hannah had only just started considering how to insult the affini's question when she found herself answering. "Everything! Everything is constantly stressing me out and I don't know how to handle it all! So many things that I need to think about and take care of but it's so hard. One wrong move and I have to suffer endless embarrassment and worry. That's before I even get to the things that need to change but I can't." After finishing her small rant, she gaped up at the affini and gave a confused "W-what?"

“Good job, petal! Oh, that was such a lovely share. Working so hard to be a good girl for me.” Latalla smiled softly. “Well, I can handle the big decisions now. Won’t it be so nice to just… relax and let me handle things? We could go to the bathroom and get you a nice, relaxing bath to help ease your worry.”

Hannah tried to ignore the excited jump in her chest at the words of praise. She considered for a moment before speaking. "A bath sounds nice but I don't want one while we are talking important stuff. I am really mad that you went and captured me, did this to me, and made everything more complicated!" She gestured at herself in an attempt to emphasize her point.

Latalla blinked a couple of times. “I think you’ll come to find that you like the way things are working, it will all be a lot better soon. And besides, a bath would ease your worries and that would make talking easier.”

"I don't want to do anything with you! You are the reason things got worse! You are the reason that my problems had a time limit! Now, I'm presumably stuck here with no resources to fix my problems. And it's all your fault!"

Latalla held in a sigh. “Hannah, the only way this gets better is with your help.” She hummed.

Hannah's voice rose to a shout. "What do you want from me! You kidnap me, push my stress all to the top, you lock me up, you treat me like an animal, and you took away my friends right as I was feeling I had some for the first time ever!"

Latalla turned her head slightly. “Oh you mean Grant and Nyx? I assure you they are just fine. As a show of good faith, I can let you see a video feed of them.”

Hannah looked up sharply, wanting to hold on to her anger but the feeling bled away into curiosity. "You can do that?"

“Of course.” She said, showing her Grant still sleeping and an early shot of Tizrin carrying Nyx in her vines. “They are well cared for, like you. As soon as I know it is safe for you and them, I’d be happy to let you spend time together.”

"What does that mean? Why am I saying all this? Why can't I stop? Why are you keeping them from me?" She still wanted to be angry but her true feelings were much closer to frustration.

“I can’t have you acting in a way that will bring them into danger. Conversely, their Affini must assure me they won’t put you in danger. All we want is for you to be safe.” She said softly. A vine caressed under her chin. “Safety is all you ever wanted, and I can give it to you.”

"Then why this?" She huffed, rattling the chain still connecting her collar to Latalla's hand. The class D xenodrugs still coursed through her system. They made her feel like she could handle things but she could not stop talking and all she had right now were accusations. "Safety is great but you have not explained what you want from me! How is this not one big excuse to have another human drooling like a dog for you?! I want answers!" Her words were punctuated with a loud growl from her stomach. "Oh great, now I am upset and hungry!" Her tone loaded with unhappiness and sass.

“Oh.” She stated simply. “All I want from you is for you to be a well behaved pet. Under the Affini Compact, terran rebels are to be domesticated. Which is how we are here.” She said. “If you keep yelling at me, however, I will have no choice but to sedate you again and it will also prolong the time until you can see your fellow florets. Now, what would you like to eat, petal?”

She trembled in fear at the word sedation and took an unconscious step back which surprised her because she didn't remember standing up. There was not a whole lot of slack left on the leash attached to her collar. She sat down again on the fluffy covers of the bed and looked down, contemplating the new information.

"I want pizza." She said distractedly. "It's been years since I tasted good pizza and I truly want some."

Latalla gave a pleasant hum at that and then went to the nearby compiler. She input the needed information and out came a standard pepperoni pizza, hot and fresh. She got a slice for Hannah and took it to her. “Here you go, petal. I did my best to get you something you would like.”

Hannah stared at the slice. Even with the class D all but eliminating her inhibitions she still hesitated. For some reason, her mind had latched on to the idea that this was it. If she accepted anything from her captors then everything would be over and she would be stuck forever. She was eventually overcome by her basic needs. She needed to eat and she was not likely to get any food that wasn't specifically provided for her, even if they did drug the hell out of it. She accepted the slice of pizza and carefully bit into it. The taste wasn't quite what she remembered but it was close enough, much better even. Part of her wanted to be frustrated that it tasted so good and even more so at how good it made her feel. She took the second bite with an energy to match her appetite. She finished the slice and looked up, obviously wanting more.

“Oh is my petal very hungry then? No worries. I have all you can ever need.” She smiled gently and gave her another slice. “Good job on eating, dear. It means a lot to me.”

"I am still really mad at you," she said, but there was no fight left in her voice. She trembled a bit as she ate the second slice I was surprised to find tears running down her face.

Latalla wiped the tear with a vine. “I think you’re just exhausted and very stressed. Your cortisol is still running alarmingly high.” She said. “I do believe a bath and then a nap would do you good."

Hannah had something she wanted to say to that but couldn't remember. She also wanted to finish this slice of pizza but wasn't able to. Her world dissolved into blurry tears, she broke down crying as she sat on the bed holding a half finished pizza slice.

Latalla felt a twinge of worry but simply had the bathtub start filling up with warm water via her tablet, sliding a dose of class A out into the water. She scooped Hannah up in her vines before heading for the attached bathroom.

Part of Hannah protested at being picked up and carried but there was too much sadness to think straight. Against her better judgment, she pressed herself against Latalla and continued sobbing.

“Oh my, poor petal. Just let those worries out.” She hummed. She got into the bathroom and carefully pulled off the girl's clothes. Then, she lowered her into the bath and began to gently wash her body.

Hannah didn't even have the energy to fully acknowledge that this plant had just stripped her bare and could see everything.

The bath felt good. Very good. The water was just the right temperature and felt so soothing after years of scant showers with recycled water. She thought there might be something more to it but just assumed it had been too long since she had a real bath. After several minutes her sobs subsided she was left feeling very tired.

“Good job, petal. You are relaxing quite well.” She said, noting the decreased stress in the girl's vitals. She got the mind-cleansing shampoo and went to work on Hannah's hair. “Yeah.” She giggled. “Let’s wash all those worries out.”

Hannah felt her thoughts go from exhausted to blissfully absent. The water was so nice along with the sensation in her head the concept of fighting or resisting completely left her.

“That’s such a good petal.” She smiled, glad they were making great progress.

After the bath was over, Latalla dried Hannah off and put her little petal away in bed. She gave her head a few soothing pets, releasing all antidotes needed and following with some class Z. She kissed the little floret's temple. “Rest well.”

***

"...You are Nyx Lazith, First Floret."

Nyx tore his way off the bed, huffing slightly. They could steal everything, but his identity? That was too much. “I’m Nyx, plain and simple. Nothing added!” He half shouted.

"Little one, where are you going?" Tizrin said, her voice all entertained endearment.

He stopped short and then blushed. “I-… I don’t know. I don’t fucking know.” He said and with those words the severity of the situation overran him. He sat down on the floor with a prominent scowl.

Tizrin took two steps and sat down next to Nyx. "I will not be permitting such language from my floret but we can work on that later. As for your name, you will still be yourself and still be able to use it as you do now. Your full name will be used for legal processes and when you are introducing yourself. We can work on changing your name if you wish but your last name will always be Lazith and you will always be my first floret." Somewhere in the middle of her words she had reached out with several vines to pet Nyx on his head and down his back.

Those damned vines… he swore they were laced with something. They sent good chills throughout his body where they touched. It was only a natural reaction for him to lean into them. With that, he blinked up at her. “So…. is this like a sexual thing for you?” He asked bluntly.

"Your name darling?" Tizrin asked, not faltering at the bluntness.

Nyx twisted his face a bit. “No, I mean like… the mistress and the, you know…” he gestured to the vines.

"Would you like it to be?" She asked with no hint of sarcasm.

Nyx paused at that. Blush covered his cheeks. “Well, I’m assuming I can’t go flirting at the local Affini bar.” He said, finally showing just a touch of humor. “And you did say you want me to be happy…”

Tizrin gave a big grin, her vines wandering a little further to brush Nyx's arms and stroke his chin. "I do not think of it as sexual normally. Petting one's pet is in the name and I love how it makes you react so adorably. You would not squirm like that and lean in if you were not enjoying it, would you? There is plenty to be done sexually should you desire but that is another thing that you will have to earn."

Nyx licked his lower lip softly, watching the vine closely. “Whatever you say.” He said, eyes almost mesmerized by the vines. He tried to blink out of it.

Tizrin's pleased hum broke into pleasant laughter. "You are too much my little one. I have many fun things I wish to share with you. But first, we must work on your name. Are you ready to say it to me?"

Nyx bit his lip. The contact of the vines was so comforting that he felt like it might be ok. “I uh..” He stumbled on his words. “NyxLazith, FirstFloret” he mumbled quickly hoping that would suffice.

"You were so close my little floret! Why don't you take a nice deep breath and try again."

Nyx couldn’t help but blush at being called little again. That word was having quite the wild effect on him. He whimpered and then breathed deeply. “Nyx Lazith, First Floret.”

Tizrin swept him up and spun and happy circle while hugging him to her chest. "Very good my little floret! You are doing so good, so fast! How about a little treat as a reward and then we can see how your friends are doing." One of Nyx's cuffs briefly tightened and a sense of euphoria washed over him, burning extra warm wherever his skin touched the affini."

Nyx couldn’t help but feel as if his body got hit with such wonderful feelings. Happy feelings coursed through him. Was it wrong to enjoy this? He wasn’t being harmed… it was shameful that he enjoyed it but it just felt so good. “Thank you, Mistress.” He giggled slightly, eyes watching the lights spin on the ceiling

"You are welcome my pet." She stood there petting his back and enjoying the sweet little sounds he made.

It was only about 10 minutes later that most of the xenodrugs effect had worn off. Tizrin shifted Nyx so he was hugged more to her side but could lean out of it to face her. "Now my darling floret, would you like to see our main living room?"

Nyx didn’t… mind that setup if he was being truthful. He gave a nod and laid his head on her shoulder, unsure of who or what they would see. But hey? It was her job to protect him, right? Not like he was doing anything wrong…

Chapter Text

Hannah awoke feeling rested of body yet weary of spirit. She didn't really understand the feeling, it was close to sad but in a way that felt good even as it slowly faded. She sat up stretching in the large, lavish bed and once again froze.

Alarms tried to go off in her head. She was captured. She needed to escape. She needed to resist. At least that's what she thought she was supposed to think. She did a self-check and found she felt really good. She usually focused on her physical side but when she did a rare check in with her emotional side she found she was feeling better than she had felt in a long time, with the possible exception of playing with Nyx and Grant. Her lip trembled but she managed to take a steadying breath and calm it.

Latalla rose from her place on a nearby chair. “Hi there, petal.” She hummed. “You looked like you had a very nice rest. Did you?” She asked, a vine reaching to give her soft head pats.

Hannah's lip tremble but she nodded. She looked down at the leash still attached to her collar and then turned her head away to avoid looking at it.

Latalla was extremely perceptive. “I see. The leash is only for your safety until I am sure you won’t need it. However, if you’d like to agree to some simple changes and rules, you could have a slight break from it.”

Hannah didn't know how to react. She could not see the leash as anything other than a sign of her inadequacy and she didn't exactly have a high opinion of herself to begin with. She mumbled, "What do you want?" in a voice so low that anyone other than affini would have had trouble hearing.

“For starters, you will treat yourself, myself, all other Affini, and your fellow florets with respect. When around others, you will behave in ways that are becoming of a floret.” She said and then hummed. “And your name is Hannah Mora, First Floret.”

Hannah thought for a moment that huffed to herself. "I guess that name works. There's not much left of me to erase anyway. But I don't really see why I should bother hopping around for a plant like you."

Latalla knew Hannah would eventually come around. They’d made enough progress that she held back on the Mistress bit. “Good girl!” She praised a bit. “I see how hard you are working.” Carefully, she unclipped the collar.

She looked up at the affini and felt a large spark of joy at being called a good girl. It made her feel bad for liking it even if it was involuntary. She looked around from her perch on the bed, not sure what to do with her ever so slightly expanded freedoms.

“I have an idea.” She said and sat down on the chair. She gave Hannah a small dose of class G, knowing it would fill her body with good feelings. “Let’s give that a moment.”

She felt something coursing through her system but couldn't feel any changes. She looked down at herself and then back up at the affini. "What was that?" She asked wearily. She was distracted by an untimely growl from her stomach.

“We’ll call it a primer dose of class G’s.” She said honestly. “Those will make it so you can have the body you want. Which I’m sure will make your life much more enjoyable.”

Hannah had a moment of trying to decide between anger and being intrigued. "It won't start turning me into a plant will it?"

Latalla giggled a bit. “I’m afraid that’s impossible, even for us.”

Hannah pursed her lips. "Can you at least talk to me before you go doing things like that? I don't like my body but you should at least know what I want first."

Latalla considered that for a moment. “Yes, we can talk about that, petal.”

Hannah stole herself and swallowed her pride for a moment. "Can I please have something to eat?" she asked, obviously trying to keep her tone civil.

“A very good job on being polite, petal.” She gave the girl a tiny dose of class A. “What would you like?”

She felt the xenodrug moving through her system, it made her feel happy and good. She didn't fight it but she did not embrace it. "Anything filling," her voice a bit breathy from the sensations.

“Hmmm.” She hummed as she began to think. She clicked around on her tablet before putting some instructions into the compiler. A moment later, she had a big plate of lasagna. “Here you go.” She smiled.

Hannah considered and then slid off the bed to sit on the floor. The flavor was a little off again but not in an unpleasant way. She shoveled it down, mostly focused on not being hungry anymore. She did have to slow down near the end because the plate was bigger than she had initially thought.

“We never have lack here, darling. Anything you desire, I can get for you. Speaking of which, you probably need some water. All petals do, after all.” She giggled. She got some ‘fresh terran water’ from the compiler.

Hannah took and downed half the glass before stopping and looking at it then turning into Latalla. "Is this drugged to?"

“No.” She hummed. “I’ll be honest with you as I expect you to be honest with me.”

Hannah got lost in thought and sipped her water until the affini took the glass from her and she looked up at the affini. "S-so what now?" She asked, her tone still forcibly civil.

Latalla thought for a moment. “Well, you’ve been a good petal for me since your bath. Would you like to see the main living space?”

"A further tour of my cage is it then?" she said spitefully, forgetting to watch her tone.

“Petal… please.” She reminded her gently and then she sat down in her chair. “Clearly, we aren’t ready for the main room.”

Hannah felt like she was being talked down to and she did not like it. "What makes you say that?" Her tone rising with anger. "Are you just going to toy with me more? What's even out there? How long are you going to keep me locked up all alone!?"

“Until you can treat me with respect.” She said with a firm edge. “That includes not yelling at me. I have not yelled at you.” She huffed. “I’m beginning to wonder if you need a nap again.”

Hannah's fear spiked. She really did not want to be drugged into sleep again. She stood and took a few shaky steps backward. "N-no please."

Latalla didn’t like fear as a method of domestication. But Hannah needed to learn respect, especially if she were ever to accompany Latalla on her political outings. “Then, I won’t, petal. Come here, please.” She hummed.

Hannah shook like a leaf, seriously considering her options and what would happen if she disappeared. She quietly walked over to stand in front of the plant lady who had uprooted the little life she had and now controlled whatever was left.

Latalla steeled her nerves a bit. “Down on your knees, petal.”

Hannah knelt as instructed, keeping her head down for fear of what she would see in the Affini's eyes.

“Very good job on listening, petal.” She smiled softly. “I do my very, very best to treat you well and keep you safe and happy. I understand you’re adjusting to these changes but I need you to learn how to behave. You’re my first floret in six blooms. Do you understand what an honor that is to me?”

"N-no."

“Do you know how long a bloom is?”

"I-" she started, her voice already rising with some anger but she quickly cut herself off. She took several deep breaths and brought her tone back to civil levels. "I don't know anything about you or your people beyond protectorate propaganda and I never really paid attention to that, it was all way too negative to think about."

“Well, petal. A bloom is roughly three hundred years and I have been through six of them. You are the very first floret I have ever taken. Because I wanted to be ready.”

Hannah kept silent but marveled at how long that was.

“Now, would you like to try being more respectful?”

Hannah really didn't. She was still very upset with the plants in general and her lack of understanding of anything that was going on beyond her being forced into subjugation for the rest of her life. Still, she was not going to get anywhere if she didn't play by Latalla's rules. She would try playing along for a bit and see what happened. It's not like her situation could be worse, could it?
"Y-yes."

“Good job, petal!” She hummed before she gave her a head pat. They were making progress. “Let’s check on Nyx, shall we?” She said, deciding to reward her little pet. On her tablet, they could see Nyx eating his cereal though Hannah didn’t need to know that was a recorded video from earlier.

Hannah initially flinched at the contact but was quickly drawn in by how good it felt. It was over too quickly and she found herself craving more.

"I am glad he's okay." She said honestly.

“Oh.” She chuckled then spoke almost to herself. “It would seem Tizrin is quite the caretaker, hm? Though I must warn you, I don’t know what… rules of engagement she will have for little Nyx. But, given your prior circumstances…” she suggested. “But yes, he’s fine. Seems to be adjusting quite well.”

Hannah looked at the projected screen longingly. She really wished she could at least sit next to Nyx. He's always felt good to be around, she just hadn't realized how much until the day before they had been taken.
"When do I get to see him? And where is Grant? And..." She trailed, suddenly looking very worried. "... Where is he at?"

Latalla tapped for a minute and brought Grant up. “He brought a weapon onto the ship and has remained sedated for everyone’s safety until we can find him a safe and loving home.” She assured her pet, giving her another head pat.

Hannah was surprised to find that the head pats did leave her very reassured. She tried very hard not to show her reaction but still rose slightly off her knees to push into the touch.

Latalla smiled ever so slightly. “Now. Would you like to see our main living area?” She gestured at the door.

Hannah focused on her and said with determination, "Grant wouldn't hurt anyone. He was just trying to help and protect us."

Latalla bowed her head for a moment before looking up. “His hubris didn’t allow him to see the full situation. As such, he endangered himself as well as everyone else.”

"But..." Hannah tried to protest.

“No buts, Hannah. I won’t allow you to be in danger.”

Hannah forgot herself as her temper flared again. "You don't know anything about him! He was good to me when almost no one else was! You can't just keep him drugged for being protective!" She stood up, not waiting for permission. "Force whatever you want on me but don't just leave him like that!" She had started crying again. She always started crying so easily when she got overwhelmed.

Latalla let out a soft breath and scooped Hannah into her vines. “It’s ok, petal. He’s not gonna be like that forever. As a favor to you, I’m gonna go check on his status personally, ok? I’m the fleet commander and I’m going to make sure he’s very well taken care of because he’s special to you.” She laid her on the bed. “Wait here, alright?”

She went to the door and prepared to leave.

Hannah nodded, ashamed of her outburst. She had known she had some feelings for Grant after the other day but she didn't think they were that strong. She felt really silly for almost getting in trouble over something she still hadn't thought much about.

Latalla felt a twinge in her core at leaving her petal in such a state. But she figured a nice cry and some alone time might sort her out. She could not wipe everything away with class E.

---

Nyx let his feet swing some as he got carried into the main room. God, he did feel little on her hip like this. “Wow, it’s so cool.” The words burst out of his mouth before he stopped short. “It’s nice.” He hummed as he looked at the couch. Being nice and cozy in her arms and vines let him giggle. “Jumping.” He said.

Tizrin smiled and ruffled his hair. "You can express yourself as long as you use proper language and respect. There will be plenty of time to jump on the couch if you want but please refrain from doing so at the moment. Why don't you have a look around." She set him down and gave him a little push on his behind.

Nyx walked further out into the main area at her insistence. He blushed some from the push on his bottom before he walked forward, fingers worrying at his lower lip a little. He bit softly at the skin there to keep himself grounded as he kept taking peeks at all the different things

A vine reached out and brushed against his mouth. "No biting now, little one."

He whined a bit and pulled away. “Not hurting nothing.” He fussed as he brought his fingers back to his mouth and wandered a bit further until he saw other doors.

"Yes, but it is a nasty habit. There are so many better ways that you can express when you feel a little nervous." Tizrin's tone clearly conveyed that she was quite entertained. "I can see you looking at the doors. The large one on my left is the exit to our hab unit. We can go out there in a day or two. Once you've done a little more training then you will have much more access to the rest of the ship. The door to my right is another entrance to the shared bathroom. We still have to get you in there and get you a bath. Why don't we do that right after we're done exploring? The door straight ahead leads to the room of the other affini and floret that live with us. I am sure they will want to introduce themselves. You will get to meet them very soon."

Nyx curled up his nose at the mention of a bath. With that, he wandered over to the Affini couch and climbed up, giving a little bounce. A little giggle left his throat.

Tizrin hovered close, likely intending to be ready to catch him if he should fall, and just smiled at him warmly with a slight tilt to her head.

He gave a few more bounces before he got down and wandered up to look at the table. It was bigger than what he was used to and wiggled. “How am I supposed to sit here?” He asked

As an answer, Tizrin lifted him with her vines and gently deposited him in one of the chairs. She wasn't able to resist ruffling a vine through his hair.

He still felt just slightly too small but he nodded a bit. He got down on his own eliciting a further smile from his affini. He looked up at her before wandering further towards the door across from theirs. “Wha—“ he was gonna ask and then an Affini came out. He squeaked out of instinct and darted behind Tizrin for protection.

Tizrin smiled fondly, pressing him gently against the vines she used to stand and stroking his hair. She looked up at the other affini with a wide smile. "Hello Habby," she said in an extremely familiar tone. "Little one, this is Latalla Mora, Sixth Bloom. She is the commander of the ship we are on as well as the fleet that it leads. Would you please introduce yourself." Her Vines did not really push him but they did encourage his movement to move and stand facing the other affini.

He felt his heart thundering in his chest as she spoke to the other. He opened his eyes to peek out a bit. “Hi…” he mumbled. “I’m… Nyx…” He swallowed thickly. “Lazith, Fi-first Floret.” He added for fear of upsetting his Mistress.

Latalla gave a broad grin. “Oh my gosh, aren’t you so adorable? And already so well taught.” She giggled before moving to the main entrance. “I have an errand to run but I shall return.”

Tizrin seemed to stand up a little straighter. "Is this the errand that you requested my presence on?"

“Yes, I believe it would be important for you to be there. This impacts both florets, obviously.” She smiled, a vine extended in invitation to her. “What of the little one?”

Tizrin lifted Nyx up to just below her eye level. "You are a very good boy for introducing yourself properly. I must leave for this appointment but I will return shortly and then we will see to your bath. Would like to stay in the living room or just the bedroom so you do not have as much to bother you? Oh, I could also give you a little something so it would feel good to just lay here and relax in pleasant feelings until I got back. What would you like to do little one?"

He blinked a bit at the options and then settled on the couch again. “I can wait here.” He smiled a bit at her, trying to look sweet.

"Very good little one. Please behave yourself. You can ask the compiler in the kitchen for anything if you get hungry." She gave Nyx a generous petting, quietly poking his leg with a needle and injecting a very small dose of class A. "I could not resist giving you a little something my sweet floret. Please be good for me."

Chapter Text

Nyx couldn’t help but feel that good little swirl in his tummy at seeing his Mistress go out the door, even if the other Affini lady was still just a little scary. After they left, he sat on the couch for a long few minutes, just giggling and humming before he took a careful scan of the room.

___

Tizrin knew she was letting her emotions show but she could not help it. Her vines curled and uncurled agitatedly "I know this test is important for them to do quickly but it feels too soon. I really wish I could just put him down for a nap."

Latalla walked slowly. “You have to trust me on this one, Tizrin. Have I ever led you astray?” She asked with a smile.

"You are right. At least we can watch them." As she walked she had a continuous feed playing on her tablet displaying the two pets. Hannah had cried herself out and was taking another nap. Her little Nyx was wiggling on the couch with an adorable grin.

___

Nyx looked at the door as the effects began to wane then he licked his lips. He could get out, find Hannah and Grant and get back to the Terran army. He was feeling more clear-headed now and knew what he had to do.

He scurried to the door and began trying to hack the control panel

"Excuse me." Came a voice from the control panel. "You are not allowed to open this door."

“Fuck.” He muttered at being startled. “Hush your AI ass up and let me work.” He said and kept clicking.

"Please stop touching the interface panel. I will have to inform your Mistress of this."

Nyx scowled and huffed. He backed off and began to check out the other doors before pausing at Latalla’s door.

The door back to Tizrin's room and the bathroom opened as he approached and closed as he moved away. Latalla's remained closed.

Nyx glanced around nervously and bit his fingers again. He tried his hand at opening the door from that control panel.

"Please stop trying to open doors. Your mistress has been informed of your activities."

___

Hannah stirred on the bed. She thought she had heard a noise at the door. She had nothing better to do and it was the first time she had been left alone. She slid off the bed and walked over to the door. On a whim, she poked the door panel.

___

Nyx poked around the door a bit, trying to figure out what could possibly be beyond it. And why wouldn’t the damn AI let him in?

"Hello?" Hannah inquired to the door panel voice.

Nyx gasped a bit at that and stumbled backward. He composed himself and then rushed to the door. “Hannah?” He said through the door.

"Nyx?!" Hannah half shouted in surprise and pushed her ear to the door.

Nyx pried at the door some, trying to force the stupid thing open. “I’m trying!” He said.

"Is it really you Nyx or is this some plant trick?" Hannah said, still half shouting so she could be heard.

“It’s me!” He pleaded, trying to figure out how to get this damn door. He looked around and got a lamp pole before he started trying to just bash his way through

His efforts had no effect on the door.

Hannah began furiously poking at the door panel but none of the affini glyphs made any sense. "Are you really ok?"

“I’m… fine, I suppose. I’m being treated really… interestingly by my plant lady.” He huffed, too embarrassed to admit the truth.

"Mine just wants to control me! She hasn't let me out of this room except to go to the bathroom and I feel so trapped." Hannah noted that she is already saying more than she normally would but she had banished the last of her doubts that Nyx could be trusted. He was a safe person to confess to. He was already trying to help her to escape.

Nyx was panicking a bit as he abandoned the lamp pole. He finally saw what looked like a computer interface and made his way there. “I’m gonna try to find help!” He called out and began trying to get into the computer system.

"No! Nyx! Please don't go!" Hannah was already sobbing. She felt so fragile she thought she would lose her mind from the embarrassment alone.

They both noticed as one of their wrist cuffs gave off several beeps.

Hannah gave a big sniff and looked at the offending cuff but could not see what had changed.

“I’m right here, Hannah! I’m gonna get a message out one way or another.” He said and then glared at the cuff. “Shut the fuck up!” He snapped at it, hitting it on the table and began trying the computer again.

The computer did not respond to any of his shouts.

Hannah sank to the floor slumped against the door and tried to talk through her sobs. "W-why are they keeping us separated?"

Nyx felt his breathing begin to get more erratic and he looked around. There had to be something he could do! He turned to her door. “I had to agree to a bunch of stupid rules before I was let out.” He said, trying to pry it out

"You agreed to the plant's rules?! Did they drug you? What did they make you say?"

“I think… a little.” He said, not wanting to admit the way he’d rolled around on the couch with a grin. “I had to agree to call her Mistress and that my name was Nyx Lazith, First Floret. Which, honestly, is a mouthful. But I mean… I can’t exactly fight her so I had to figure something out!”

"The plant gave me something... It made me say things I should not have said out loud, things that I didn't even know myself. Then, when it thought I had tired myself out, it sedated me, twice!"

Both of their wrist cuffs gave a more insistent series of beeps.

Nyx slumped to his knees. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. I’m so sorry.” He started crying at that and then heard the main hab door open.

Latalla strolled through. “I’ll… leave you to your little one.” She said, motioning to Nyx.

"It's not your fau-" Hannah started to say before she heard the other voices. The affini were back.

Tizrin stopped a few places from Nyx and some calmly. "My little floret, will you please come here?"

Nyx pushed himself back a couple of feet, not brave enough to rise up against her. “N-no.” He said, trying to sound firm. “I want Han-Hannah.” His voice broke on her name.

"She will be able to come out when she has agreed to the rules, at least that's how I believe Latalla has it set up. If you come to me right now then we can talk things over and address any questions you have." Tizrin said, desperately hoping that her pet had not regressed a step.

Nyx put himself in a corner and shook his head. “I don’t wanna!” He said through tears. He started his nervous habit with his fingers again but the cuff just gave one solid beep and then he felt it tighten as coolness flowed into him. “Fucking hell.” He mumbled, knowing he was probably getting sedated again.

Tizrin reach out and plucked Nyx out of the corner to hold him at eye level by a vine around his waist. This allowed Latalla to get past too the door. Tizrin made sure that Nyx had only gotten a small dose from his cuff and looked him right in the eyes and said with just an edge of firmness to her voice. "This is your last chance or we will have to go back to step one. Will you work with me or do I have to take care of you while accounting for resistance?"

"Nyx!" Called Hannah who could not clearly hear what was being said only that Nyx was in distress. "Nyx! What is happening?! What are they doing?!" As she shoved weakly at the door her cuff beeped a third time and she felt it tighten before a relaxed sensation started up her arm.

The drugs hit him pretty hard and his intense emotions had started to become duller and duller versions of themselves. “N-no Mistress.” He whimpered softly, feet dangling as the power of her words washed over him. He could only catch a glimpse of Hannah being pulled away and felt so ashamed.

___

Hannah caught a glimpse of Nyx being held aloft by his affini and already slumping in defeat. The part of her that had cracked before did so again. The feeling of being completely helpless washed over her along with the drugs. Her eyes unfocused and she lost track of everything.

Latalla wrapped her pet in comforting vines. “My dear, petal. What a state you’ve worked yourself into.” She got a warm bit of tea from the compiler before sitting in a rocking chair with Hannah.

Hannah could not tell how much time had passed but she stirred to the sensation of rocking gently and Latalla offering her a sip of tea. Her body felt like it was on autopilot as she took a sip. Being wrapped in vines felt nice, a lot nicer than she had expected. A voice in her head screamed but fell quiet as her last bit of fight fell away. She leaned into the affini and started crying again.

___

Tizrin relaxed quite visibly, gold rippling across her eyes. She pulled Nyx close, cradling him against her. "Oh, my little floret. We do need to talk about your behavior but I am so happy that you will work with me." She gave him a bit of the antidote for the sedative leaving only enough to keep the edge off. She also added a small dose of class A. Punishment or no, her pet had made the right choice in the end and deserves a reward. "Let us get you clean and wash all these bad feelings away. Then we can either talk about it or you can rest for a bit. How does that sound?" She wrapped him in more vines. “You are safe. I will never let harm come to you.” She said, gently rocking as she talked. “It has been quite a big day for my floret.”

Nyx latched onto her tightly. “Do I have to take a bath, Mistress?” He asked weakly.

"Yes, my little one." Tizrin said, already heading for the bathroom. "We must get you clean. You are still a mess from all the trouble on the ship. Do you like being dirty?"

Nyx wiped his face some. “You’re gonna make me take off my clothes.” He fussed.

"Yes, my little boy, that is part of bathing. Are you trying to hide something from me?"

He buried his face against her. “I don’t like my body that much.” He muttered.

"I know little one and you will find no judgment from me. I like your body just how it is and I am happy to help you change it in any way to better fit your desires. We will add that to our list of things to talk about." She set Nyx down in the bathroom but made sure that there was at least one of her vines touching him at all times.

Nyx had a distracted moment of gazing around the bathroom. The texture didn't seem to quite match the visual of the ship. It felt like a solid non-porous texture but still appeared to be made from organic material. There was a large tub big enough for at least two affini with a heavily stocked shelf of soaps and other chemicals in bottles behind it. Something resembling a vanity was on either side of the door to the living room and seemed mostly sized for the affini except for the additional mirror at his height.

He wanted to look more but his mistress was using her vines to tap his arms, obviously intent on him raising them so that she could pull off the Terran Accord medic uniform. Another set of vines were already slipping over the waistband of the pants to pull them down.

Nyx blushed profusely as he raised his arms for her to get his shirt off. When it came off, the black binder that fell just below his ribs was put on full display. He averted his eyes, drawing his arms over his stomach.

When his pants fell away, he wiggled his hips some and wondered what the water was gonna feel like.

"Hmmm," Tizrin mused, "You have been wearing this for several days?" She plucked at the binder.

He blushed a bit and shrugged. But then he answered in a quiet voice. “Yes, Mistress.”

"We will add this to our discussion on your body preferences. For now, it needs to go." With no further preamble, the binder was cut away, leaving Nyx standing completely bare. Tizrin immediately began probing his ribs with her vines. It mostly felt like gentle tickles but there were several spots that were painful and tender. "I would normally consider this a neglectful action but you have been busy. I will see that this heals properly."

Nyx was flabbergasted that she had just cut it! He could have gotten it off. “Hey, what the fuck!” He half shouted. “I don’t have any others!” He complained and pushed her vines away when he winced, covering himself as best he could.

A vine moved to cover his mouth. "Please do not use language like that my little one. You no longer have any need of this garment."

He blushed darkly and squirmed softly. “Sorry.” He muttered past the vine.

Tizrin looked at him expectancy as if waiting for more.

Nyx blinked a bit. “I’m sorry for using bad language, Mistress.” He blushed.

She pet his head in a way that he was already growing to crave. "Good little boy. Thank you for recognizing your mistake and letting me take care of you." While she spoke several Vines had turned on the water and added one of the soaps causing a cascade of bubbles.

He took a curious peek into the bath, noticing just exactly how big it was.

"Now let's get you clean." She lifted him with her vines and lowered him into the perfectly hot water. Nyx gave a soft whine as he got put into the tub. He leaned into her touch and sighed softly. “That feels nice.” He muttered.

Tizrin climbed in and gave him a moment to adjust before wetting his head and scrubbing it with fresh shampoo.

As she scrubbed, Nyx felt himself relaxing further. It was as if his thoughts and worries were being scrubbed away with the grime in his hair.

Tizrin was tempted to add some class A to the water but resisted. The medium strength thought scrubbing shampoo should be enough for him to feel happy and relaxed for hours. She did not want to overload him with too much at once. "I am glad you enjoy it little one. You will have a bath almost every day to look forward to." She rinsed his hair and started scrubbing him from head to toe with a floral-smelling soap.

Nyx looked up at her over his shoulder. “When do we go outside?” He asked with sleepy little eyes.

"Outside the hab? We can go out in a day or two if you continue to be as good as this." Her scrubbings reached more sensitive places and continued without faltering.

He squirmed a bit uncomfortably. He didn’t have much of a problem with his crotch but his chest was particularly bothersome and he tried to block her vines at certain points

"What is wrong, little one?" She asked. Her tone implied she already knew the answer but Nyx did not have the presence of mind to notice.

Nyx blinked a couple of times. “Don’t like my chest.” He said as he hid against her

"We will discuss that shortly. For now, you must let me finish cleaning you. Perhaps you would like to try the sensation of being restrained during your bath?"

Nyx frowned up at her and gave a big shake of his head before he tucked into her side again.

Tizrin comforted him with gentle strokes. "You can put that out of your mind then. Almost done cleaning. Did you want to have that talk right away or did you need a nap first?"

Nyx rubbed his face some. “Talk first.” He half pouted.

Tizrin again looked at him expectantly again.

He gave another pout. “I’d like to talk before my nap, Mistress.” He blushed darkly.

"Good boy," She praised as she rinsed him off. She pulled him from the tub to stand nearby with a few vines to help him stay on his feet. Next came the fluffiest towel he had ever felt. She briefly saw to his nails then opened his mouth with some smaller vines to clean his teeth.

Nyx giggled a bit as she cleaned his teeth. “You treat me like an actual boy.” He mumbled around her vines.

"Are you not?" She asked halfway between kind and gently teasing.

“I meant.” He pouted a bit. “A little boy.” He clarified, mind blank other than the giggly feelings of her cleaning him.

"Should I treat you like something other than what what you are or are you just being silly?" She finished with his teeth and carried him to one of the doors that they had not used before to end up back in their bedroom.

He hung onto her and giggled a bit more. “Just silly.” He mumbled.

"Adorable. Now let us see if we can find you something comfortable to for you to wear." She set him down next to one of the wardrobes and started rifling through it. She made sure to keep at least one vine close to Nyx for him to touch and catch him if he started to tip over.

He giggled a bit at how the bed felt, kicking his feet around playfully. His mind was still washed clean enough to just enjoy sitting there naked without worrying.

"You seem to be enjoying not wearing anything so we will go with something loose-fitting." She pulled out a simple affini companion dress with brilliant embroidery depicting vines in various shades of green. "This should feel nice and comfortable," she said, moving back towards him.

Nyx blinked at it a few times before he pulled it on. He didn’t hate the idea and was rather relaxed right now anyways.

Tizrin moved him from the bed to the floor. One of her vines drew a little circle on the top of his shoulder. "Will you please spin around for me, darling floret?"

Nyx giggled at the thought and then gave a little twirl for her. “How was that?”

"Exactly as I wanted. You look lovely." She gave his hair a soft pet. "We can continue to work on it but remember to address me as Mistress any time you speak to me."

Nyx gave a little blush. “Sorry, Mistress.” He muttered and then without even thinking put his arms up to her.

"That is okay, little one. I will keep giving you gentle reminders but it should quickly become second nature to you." She picked him up and cuddled him close, making sure that he was comfortable but not to the point that he might doze off. "And now for our big talk. Is there anything that you would like to start with or shall I bring up the subjects that need to be addressed?"

He gave her a slight little scared look, expecting to be scolded for his behavior. “You… you can go.” He said, wiggling softly

"Let us start with your behavior earlier today. Tell me what was going through your mind when you smashed that lamp around trying to get into Latalla's, the commander's, room?" She gently stroked him as she talked. Her tone was all curiosity and no judgment.

He sniffled a bit, squirming in her arms and vines softly. “I wanted to get Hannah out, Mistress. That’s all. I really wanted her out, Mistress.”

"That is very kind of you, little one, but Hannah has not yet earned the privilege of leaving the bedroom. I expect it will only be another day or two at most before then. I love how much you care about your friend. And now you know who lives in the other room. When you and Hannah have been trained more you will have a lot of time to spend together very soon." She paused briefly before continuing, "So you heard your friend who you believed to be trapped in the next room and threw reason aside in your desire to help her?"

He squirmed a bit at her probing questions but gave a soft nod. “Yes, Mistress. I just wanted to help.”

"Those were very good intentions my little one. Next time you see a situation like that you can ask the hab AI. It will give you directions or summon me to help as quickly as possible. Do you understand how you should act if you believe another floret to be in danger?"

His eyes grew a bit softer. “I should ask you or the hab for help, Mistress.”

"Very good, my little floret. And will there be any further attempts to open doors that you do not have access to?" Her blue eyes shimmered with gold as she looked down proudly at her floret who was doing so well.

Nyx bit his lower lip softly. “No, Mistress.” He shook his head, hair falling in his eyes a bit.

"Very good." She praised him, lovingly brushing the hair from his face.

Nyx could feel her joy in waves with every answer he got right.

"Next, let's discuss the matter of your body. Am I to understand that it is a different shape or... configuration than you would prefer?"

Nyx swallowed thickly. “Y…yeah.” He said. “Mistress.” He added on quickly.

"You make me so happy when you remember. Would you say it is accurate that you wish your body to more resemble that of the gender your gender identity?"

Nyx blinked a few times and then nodded softly. “I don’t hate…” he motioned to his lower half. “But here is…” he shook his head hard as he motioned to his chest.

"Can you tell me how you would like it to look?"

Nyx blushed darkly. “I… hm… flat, Mistress.” He muttered, struggling slightly to get the words out.

"You are doing so well answering honestly, my little boy. Just a few more questions on this subject. What if I told you that I could help you change it to the way you want it? What would you say?"

Nyx looked up at her with wide eyes. “You… you can do that, Mistress?”

"Of course, my floret. You are mine so I may do as I wish but right now what I wish is to help your body feel more comfortable. I have already put in a notice that I may need a temporary graft so I can make sure you are taken care of. I just need you to say 'Mistress, will you please help me change my body.'"

Nyx swallowed thickly. “Mistress… will you help me change my body?”

"Yes, my sweet little boy." Her eyes were glittering with so much gold it was hypnotically drawing Nyx in. "Would you like to join me for the graft appointment or should I get it done while you sleep?"

Nyx blinked a bit. “What’s a graft, Mistress?” He hummed, so caught up in her eyes.

"It is a vine that will be attached to me. It will be capable of producing a xenodrug that will help us shape your body. The procedure will not take long and if you are good it will be a chance to move around the ship a little."

As they had been talking, Tizrin had started covering Nyx slowly with more and more vines. By this point, he was almost a cocoon. "So, would you like to come with or stay here?"

Nyx blinked ever so softly this time, a feeling of calm taking over his brain as he watched her eyes. “I’d like that, Mistress.”

"Which one, you silly? It is not quite bedtime yet."

Nyx wiggled in the vines some. “Can I talk to Hannah tomorrow?” He asked.

"That will mostly depend on her. If you are both behaving then there should be no reason you to can not be together all the time. Now would you like to have a short nap and join me on my errand or would you like to go to sleep for the night?"

Nyx was quick to answer as he tried to sit up a bit. “I’ll go with you!”

"You have been so good, my little one. One last question for now. Would you like a reward for how good you have been or would you like a relaxing nap?"

Nyx thought about it for a long moment. “Relaxing nap.” He said, knowing what that would mean.

"Of course, my little one." By this time Nyx was covered in vines up to his neck with some holding his head up and playing idly with his hair. They felt so warm and cozy. "Will you please look into my eyes."

Nyx couldn’t help the waves of relaxation washing over him as he looked up into her eyes. “Hi, Mistress.” He muttered.

"Hello, little boy." She started rocking back and forth, following a rhythm that she matched with her voice. "It is time for your nap but I will see you shortly and we will go out. Rest well." Nyx was so relaxed and focused on Tizrin's eyes that he hardly felt the prick in his leg. His mind had already grown so tired even before the xenodrugs moved through his system. She carried him to the bed and lay there. She unraveled most of her form and wrapped it around Nyx. As soon as she was sure that he was completely asleep, she carefully moved out from under him. She pulled out her tablet to confirm the meeting, pausing on her way out the door for one last look at her pet.

Chapter Text

Latalla had eventually gotten the crying girl to fall asleep and put her into bed. From there, she hummed slightly as she checked on some details for the ship through her tablet. It was peaceful waiting for Hannah to wake up.

Hannah eventually stirred. She mostly remember what had happened and it had scared her. She was convinced that Nyx was being controlled or somehow pushed into obeying them. He would not give up, would he? His cries and attempts to get through the door had been genuine. Unless, what if it was just another trick from the affini to get her to obey them? That could not be it. If they wanted to do something like that they would have just drugged her. She was not sure how much more she could take. Her heart cried out for relief. She might just have to get it from this affini. The one that owned her. Maybe her demands were not so bad. At least she should be able to see Nyx again.

Latalla offered her some water. “Would you like to sit up so we can talk a bit?”

Hannah took a deep breath and did as instructed. Her hair, which was not even to her shoulders, was a mess about her eyes.

“Dear,” Latalla said before fixing her hair some. “Would you like to leave the room?”

"Y-yes... I want to see Nyx." She tried to put some heart in her voice but it fell a little flat. Defeated.

“I can’t promise Nyx will be out but he will be eventually and you're going to have to behave.” She said. “Now, rule one: you’ll need to call me Mistress.”

Hannah looked up at the affini's eyes, her lower lip trembling, and found Latalla staring at her with intent. She could not spend the rest of her life crying and being drugged. "Y-ye- mmmi..." The words were so hard. She felt like she was crossing some line and tried to push through the worry that she was giving something up forever. She had to. "Y-y-yes Mistress," she squeaked, her head dropping to stare at her lap.

“Good girl!” She praised softly. “Next, we have to focus on your behavior. You are not to put yourself or other florets in danger. Is that clear?” She asked kindly.

"Y-yes Mistress." Her voice grew a little more steady at the praise and she thought she felt something spark inside of her.

“Good job. Doing so good for me.” She hummed and slipped her a micro-dose of class A through her cuff as a reward. “Ok. Let’s go see the main room, shall we?” She asked.

Hannah looked up, the motion slightly dulled by the pulse of pleasure starting at her cuff. "S-so soon? It is that easy?"

“You agreed to the rules. They are quite simple after all. You are the pet though.” She reminded her before opening the door.

Hannah's impulse was to hesitate which she did for a moment. Then she thought about it and couldn't understand why she hesitated. Y-yes Mistress," she said, slipping off the bed and following her affini.

Latalla walked out into the main room. She reviewed the tablet. “Oh, little Nyx is taking his nap right now. So, be a little on the quiet side. Don’t want Tizrin to have a grumpy little one.” She giggled. “But this is it.” She motioned.

Hannah gazed around the room, marveling at the array of colors. There were several functional-looking spaces, including a very nice-looking kitchen with lots of seating. There seem to be a significant focus on comfort. There was an entire corner devoted to a couch and soft things like blankets and pillows. She eyed the other doors. "Where do those doors go? Is Nyx behind one of them, M-mistress," she added quite belatedly.

“Good girl.” She praised, petting her with a vine. “Nyx is right over there.” She motioned to the door. “But you can’t go in there without Tizrins permission. You’ll meet her soon enough.” She hummed. “You’ve seen the bathroom.” She motioned. “And then that goes out into the ship.”

The praise felt nice. The vine touching her felt even nicer. She sounded with enjoyment despite herself.
"U-um, M-mistress? Can I please have something to eat?"

“Of course. Pizza again?” She teased with a little giggle

"A-anything M-mistress. I just don't want to be hungry right now."

Latalla wandered over to the compiler near the kitchen and made a pepperoni pizza. After it was on the table, she scooped Hannah up with some vines to deposit her in a chair

Hannah felt like some selfish child. She was so bothered by it that she almost missed her hand automatically moving to try and touch the retreating vines.

Latalla moved to a computer terminal and typed in a few things before looking back to Hannah. “Nyx may be coming out at some point. If he does, please remain well behaved. I’d hate to separate the two of you.” She said before she sat with Hannah and held a piece of pizza up.

"I will." She tried to lift her hand for the slice but found it out of her reach. She looked up at Latalla, confused.

Latalla held it up to her lips. “Here you go, my good girl.” She smiled.

Hannah tentatively took a bite, feeling silly and embarrassed. She forgot both for at least a moment when the taste of the pizza washed over her. It tasted so good she finished her bite and looked up at Latalla, her eyes asking for more.

“Good girl.” She praised, speckles of gold swirling in her eyes. “Here’s another bite.” She hummed, bringing it in for Hannah.

Hannah ate, trying to tell herself she was being excessively belittled. When she found she could not eat another bite, she caught herself wanting more just to keep getting fed. She shook her head. It couldn't feel that good. She couldn't just give in this easily. She would keep playing by the rules but she wanted to keep her guard up.

Latalla hummed softly. “Did you want any more or maybe something to drink?” She asked

"W-water please, Mistress," she asked timidly before looking up as if a little excited. "Can I have orange juice instead?"

Latalla gave a soft hum with a smile. “Mistress would be happy to get you some orange juice.” She teased light-heartedly before going to make some for her.

She dropped her gaze and murmured, "Thank you, Mistress."

Latalla tapped her chin with a vine. “Here you go,” she offered.

Hannah looked up somewhat involuntarily and the cup was raised to her lips. It was a very weird thing to be given a drink like this without a straw but Latalla's motions were perfect and she did not cough or splutter. It tastes so good. She had no memory of the last time she had orange juice, the last time she had any juice. The taste was so wonderful in that moment she did not care about much else.

“Good job!” Latalla hummed and gave her hair a soft pat. “I’m glad you are savoring things so easily. They should be enjoyed.” She sighed, eyes sparkling with gold.

She let out a soft "ahh" at the touch, failing to stop herself before she sat up a little straighter in an attempt to maintain contact. She quickly slumped back down and look to the side, embarrassment written all over her.

Latalla’s eyes gave amused patches of green, as she watched her pet enjoy the attention. “It’s ok to enjoy things.” She smiled. “I will let you know Nyx will be accompanying Tizrin on her medical appointment. Nyx is just fine though.”

At that moment Tizrin walked into the room carrying a still sound asleep Nyx against her shoulder. "How are you two doing," she asked with a smile. She sat down next to Latalla, across from Hannah.

Hannah tensed a bit at the presence of another affini.

Latalla brushed a vine over her shoulders. “It’s ok, Hannah. This is Tizrin Nazith, Sixth Bloom. She is Nyx’s Owner. Though, he’s sleeping right now. But if you can be very gentle and quiet, you can go see him for a moment.”

Hannah's body was still tense and it once again tried to prolong the touch from the vines as if seeking comfort from them. She did not even seem to be aware of her actions this time. She glanced up at Nyx with a longing expression but then dropped her gaze and remained silent.

Latalla watched her for a brief moment. It was very strange considering that they had such a deep bond. She scooped her up into her vines.

“I think we have a shy pet,” Latalla said in an amused tone to Tizrin.

“Look. There he is.” She smiled in a whisper as they got close. “Such a darling little one, Tizrin.”

Nyx stirred slightly but just clung to Tizrin more in his sleep

Hannah was shaking but she leaned into Latalla's embrace. She still had not said a word since Tizrin had entered the room.

Tizrin hummed happily and gently stroked Nyx's back as he slept. "I have a few moments before I need to leave for my appointment but I just couldn't wait to come say hello when I saw that Hannah had been good enough to leave your room."

She looked down at Hannah. "How are you doing little one? Would you like to tell me your name?"

Hannah did not respond and started shaking harder.

Latalla brushed Hannah’s back, knowing what Tizrin was asking. “We are working on learning new things but her first name is Hannah.” Latalla smiled broadly. “And despite her little bit of initial fussing, I think the little cutie will come to love it here.” She said, tucking Hannah in close so the girl could feel her own biorhythm more clearly.

"Excellent. I look forward to spending time with her when she is ready." She checked her tablet. "I should finish getting ready." A vine disentangle itself from her mass and extended and needle to gently poke Nyx in his thigh. Within seconds the little elf was stirring, clutching at Tizrin and muttering sleepily.

Hannah watched the whole thing through nervous eyes.

Nyx was a bit pouty when he was woken up. Though there were drugs in him now to wake him up, he insisted on putting his head on Tizrins shoulder. “Miss-…twess…” he mumbled in a sleepy voice, a slight lisp having temporarily formed. “I don’t wanna wake up.” He fussed a bit, trying to cling to her but unaware of the silent Hannah.

"My sweet little boy, it's time for me to leave for my appointment. Would you still like to come with and be outside the hab unit or would you like me to put you back down so you can continue your nap?"

“Wanna come.” He sniffled slightly as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. And that’s when he saw Hannah in the other Affinis vines. Without thinking or even processing anything, he dove quickly for her. “Hannah!” He called, so glad she was out.

Tizrin held him in place and shifted so that he could easily see Hannah.

Hannah opened her mouth, obviously glad to see Nyx, but no sound came out.

Nyx blinked a bit and wiggled some. “Wanna go see Hannah.” He fussed, having lost some reason due to her presence.

Tizrin stroked his hair soothingly. "Now now, my little floret, we need to get going. Remember that Hannah lives with us and you will get to see her a lot very soon. This appointment will not take long. Will you be good for me so we can leave?"

Nyx swallowed thickly as the vines gave him that soothing feeling. “Yes, Mistress.” He muttered, finding her eyes very interesting again.

More than once Hannah moved as if wanting to go to Nyx but stopped herself as quickly as the motion began. Only Latalla noticed the movements.

Tizrin looked lovingly down at Nyx. "Do you want to walk and get out some energy or do you want me to carry you?"

Nyx wiggled some more and then clung to her. Outside was scary… very scary. “I don’t wanna walk, Mistress,” he said.

Latalla wrapped Hannah up in some vines. “Let’s go to the couch, hmm?” She asked

Hannah made a small keening sound while looking at Nyx but then wiggled a little closer to Latalla, obviously trying to seek more comfort than she was finding.

Tizrin stood and made for the door. "See you two in a little bit." She pressed Nyx to her side just above her hip, holding just tightly enough that he could feel secure without any effort.

Latalla tugged Hannah in close, wrapping her up a bit more. “You two be safe.” She smiled as they left the unit and then she sat with Hannah on the couch. “I’ve got a reward if you can be good for me,” she hummed.

Hannah looked up at her Mistress, the question in her eyes and the slightest tilt to her head. Her trembling had stopped but her lower lip still twitched a little.

“Your name going forward will be Hannah Mora, First Floret. Can you repeat that for me?"

She opened her mouth but no sound came out. She looked troubled and then her eyes gained a worried edge as she looked into her Mistress' eyes.

Latalla tilted her head and gave her a dose of class D, letting that sink in for a moment. She even caressed her cheek with a vine, gold flakes in her eyes. “Come on, dear. You can do it!”

It took a short moment to spread throughout her system but her words did come back. "W-why couldn't I t-talk?"

Latalla focused on her. “I imagine it to be your own internal anxiety, dear.”

"Mmmm," she acknowledged, still looking a little nervous but more thoughtful now. "W-what did you want to ask me, M-mistress?"

“I would like for you to repeat to me your name: Hannah Mora, First Floret.”

"H-hannah Mora, First F-floret." Her voice was a little distant and she shivered as she finished speaking.

Gold blossomed in her eyes and she gave Hannah an antidote for the D and then gave her some A. “Good girl!” She ruffled her hair.

Hannah gasped as the sensation flowed into her. She cried out as every part of her body that was touching Latalla's vines lit up with an electric feeling. It took her a moment to process it as pleasure. She cried out again, pressing herself into the soft mass of vines.

Latalla let a soft hum flow from her body at the reaction from Hannah. “Good girl. See how great it feels to be good for me?”

She calmed down enough that she could talk, though her eyes were a little glazed and words slurred. "Yesh Miiistress." She gave an involuntary giggle and then giggled at that.

Latalla was glad to see her pet in a better mood and smiled. “Good job!” She brushed vines over her back.

The touch felt amazing. She lost her sense of time all that mattered was her mistress was touching her and she didn't want it to stop.

Latalla decided to give her an extra special treat. She lifted Hannah in her vines, letting her float.

Hannah couldn't help herself. Her giggles turned into laughter. After several long breaths filled with nothing but joy, she managed to get out a few more slurred words. "Wuuat is this, Mistrrress?"

Latalla brought her gently down to the couch. “It’s class A. It makes you terrans feel really good!”

"Itta does feel gooood." She snuggled closer to her Mistress. The remaining class A in her system left her feeling a mix of giddy and wanting touches. Part of her was trying to remember something important but the thought was gone before her xeonodrugged brain could do more than acknowledge something that was not just *happy*.

“I’m glad, dear.” She said, bringing her in close for more cuddles.

Chapter Text

Tizrin strolled through the ship, feeling jovial with Nyx on her hip. The sweet little thing was still drowsy, despite there being no xenodrugs in his system. He seemed to really like the swaying when she held him. She stepped into a mag rail car that would take them most of the way to their destination. When the doors closed, she looked down at Nyx. "Are you doing alright, floret?"

Nyx was glancing around with curiosity and a little trepidation as Tizrin carried him. He sighed softly and clutched closer anytime he felt too much fear.

Tizrin sensed the anxiety in his biorhythm. "Are you feeling nervous, my little boy? Should I give you something to help you relax a little? It will not make you fall asleep unless you ask for that."

"I don't like so many... people." He fussed softly, fingers wrapping into some of her vines for comfort.

"I can help you with that. Would you like to not see them, not hear them, or not think about them?"

Nyx gave it some very careful thoughts. "I don't wanna hear them, Mistress." He complained softly.

"I can fix that in a moment. Would you like something to help you relax until then?"

Nyx gave a big nod and put his head on her shoulder

She pulled out the appropriate injector to administer some class E, allowing it to soothe Nyx into a placid state. She noted the smoothing of his breathing and how he gentled his grip ever so slightly while still hugging against her.

She exited the mag rail and used the few minutes they were ahead of schedule to detour to the nearest building that had a compiler. She quickly ordered a specific strain of class s and plenty of antidote in two separate inhalers.

She strolled back in the direction of her graft appointment. Along the way, she injected Nyx with a bit of the antidote for the class E and held the first inhaler up to his mouth. "Please breathe in little one. It will help you with busy and loud things that upset you."

Nyx loved when he got to feel nice and relaxed for Mistress. When she held up an inhaler for him, he took a big inhale. He blinked as the sounds of the bustling ship faded to a mild murmur.

"Is that good, my little Nyx?" He was able to hear her much better than anything else lightly bustling around him.

He blinked a few times at her. “Yes, Mistress.” He gave a big nod.

Tizrin hummed happily and stroked his hair. She crossed back to the arborist building.
A terrain sat behind a counter in a cozy reception room. "Hello Tim, is Rosoncha ready?"

"Yes Tizrin, you can go right back. Would you like your floret to wait out here?"

"No, thank you, Tim, I will be keeping him with me all day today." She reached and stroked his face with a vine which he greatly enjoyed.

Nyx could still hear the spoken words but he was also able to easily tune out the sound if he wanted. The buzz of everything was even quieter after they had entered the reception room.

Nyx glanced around a bit as they made their way through the rooms, humming to himself. Without the constant noise, things weren’t so bad. He looked up to Tizrin. “Is it gonna hurt you?”

"I will feel a small spark of something you might equate to pain and it may take me a minute or two to gain full control of the graft, but this is of no concern to me and definitely no concern to you my little one."

Nyx gave a big nod and took a slow breath. “Ok, Mistress.”

"Good little one." She ruffled and stroked his hair in a way she knew she would never get tired of.

She greeted arborist Rosoncha and they clasped vines to speak in the local dialect of affini. She sat down in the affini sized chair and lifted Nyx to a small chair near the wall. She left him with a vine to hold, one gently keeping him in place, and one still gently petting him.

Nyx couldn’t help his fascination with the vines as he had two to keep up with. The Affini chatter was dull and he giggled a bit as the vine escaped his grasp for a moment

Content that Nyx was happy, Tizrin brought out the appropriate part of herself to be grafted onto. She and the arborist kept some Vines clasped, chatting a bit about the operation but mostly about how cute her pet was.

The graft itself took less than ten minutes. The arborist had her move the newly grafted vine in various ways to ensure she had full control of it. She then attempted to use the graft on a device that detected she could properly control the dosage of xenodrugs it created. With everything done satisfactorily, she bid farewell to the arborist, pulled Nyx back to her waist, and waved to Tim on her way out. "So my little one, would you like your first dose of xeno drugs to help you change your body right now or when we get back to our hab?"

Nyx watched the Tim person over one of Tizrin's vines and then wiggled some as he looked up to Tizrin. “At home.” He nodded and kicked his legs. He was getting more curious and wiggled to try looking around better.

"What's on your mind?"

“Just looking at people.” He said and quickly tucked himself safely in her vines as a trio of rather tall Affini passed them.

"There is a lot to see, isn't there? We will be back inside shortly but we'll be able to come out and play more soon. There's a number of very lovely parks that I would like to show you around." They had entered the mag rail that would bring them most of the way back home. There was a slight hum everywhere on the ship if you listened carefully but it was quieter in the car.

Inside the transport pod, Nyx began to get a little antsy from being carried so much. He tried to squirm out of her vines, wanting to get down to the floor — making the cutest grunts.

"Nyx, if you want to walk on your own you have to ask for it."

Her words came through to a degree but sounded much softer than normal. The car and the hum fought for space over her voice in his half-drugged mind. He kicked his feet some, trying to turn upside down.

Tizrin pulled him close to her and allowed her voice to resonate throughout her body. She did not break stride on her way back to the hab. "Nyx I need you to be good for just a moment more. We are almost home and then you can run around as much as you want. If you need something right now, then please use your words."

That caught his attention fully and he blushed some as he settled down. He was glad to hopefully see Hannah again.

"Good little one. If there is something you want and you are having trouble using your words, that is another thing that we should talk about together. Would you like to have all your hearing back as soon as we are home?"

Nyx wiggled his hips and gave a nod at her question. “Yes, Mistress.” He said in a softer voice than normal.

Tizrin walked back into the hab unit. She saw Latalla sitting on the couch with an adorably drugged Hannah. She gave Nyx the antidote to the hearing blocker and set him down in front of her.

Nyx bounced a bit as he got onto his feet and then took off across the unit. He bounced down next to Hannah. “Hannah!” He grinned

"Nyyyyx!" Hannah said with a smile, her words slurred by the xenodrugs is still in her system. She started trying to crawl across the couch seat towards him but fell on her side giggling. "Miiisstress gave me somthen durgs an now I'm all silllly. "

Tizrin joined them on the couch with the florets between her and Latalla. She beamed at Nyx's excitement. "Just be gentle with her, little one. Even a slight touch feels so good to her right now. Do you want to feel like that with her?"

Nyx giggled at her being silly like that and then turned to look at his Mistress. “Is it gonna be the needle thing again?” He asked with apprehension.

"It does not have to be if you don't want it. I can make it so you hardly notice the needle, I can have it be something that just rubs on your skin, or I can have it be something that you breathe in like this one." She pulls out her newly grafted vine that ended in a large flower with petals that unfurl. "I got this one to help you with your body changes and it is one that you breathe in. Would you like your first dose right now? You can still be like Hannah as well."

Nyx crawled up onto her lap and bounced excitedly. “Yeah, I can do that!” He hummed.

Latalla couldn’t help but give Hannah a light tickle.

Hannah gave a small shriek of pleasure but quickly turned into more giggling.

Tizrin lifted Nyx up to sit next to her. "You can close your eyes if you want but take deep breaths in and out."

Latalla felt a small laugh fall from her own lips. “Silly petal.” She hummed and wiggled a bit before teasing her with a vine.

Nyx wasn’t fond of having to sit on the couch instead of Tizrins lap. He let out a soft grunt and made a move to crawl back into her lap.

Tizrin smiled at how attached Nyx was already becoming. She hoisted him onto her lap so that he was sitting with his back towards her facing the others. A few Vines slithered over his waist and legs, telling him that he was to sit still for the moment. "There you go my little one. Will you start breathing deeply for me now?"

Nyx swallowed thickly and took a few big inhales.

Tizrin pushed the flower against Nyx's face fully covering his mouth and nose. She kept the flower on him for about five deep breaths before pulling it away. It was easy to breathe and only lightly scented. "How did that feel, little one?"

Hannah had calmed down enough to watch the whole thing through glazed eyes that failed to fully focus. Her body language said that she definitely wanted to get closer.

With the drugs settling into his body, he felt a newfound fire. He smiled broadly and then hopped down to Hannah, straddling her lap. “Hi, Hannah.” He giggled, blushing slightly.

Tizrin offered a vine to Latalla so they could chat while their pets finally got to be together.

Hannah cried out again and her back arched, nearly throwing Nyx off of her. The touch blocked out nearly all of her other senses. Moaning breathily, she managed to settle down looking lazily at him.

Nyx wiggled a bit, giggling slightly. “Missed you, Hannah.” He said and leaned down to give her cheek a pet.

Hannah squirmed with delight and pulled Nyx closer. "Thers sommthen I wanttted to talk with yuuu about buuuut I can't member right now."

Nyx looked down at her with big eyes. “You’re pretty.” He giggled in return.

"No you arr!"

Tizrin couldn't resist anymore. While the pets were enamored with each other, she sneaked a vine forward to poke Nyx in his thigh and give him a generous dose of class A. Approximately enough to match Hannah's.

Nyx let out a big giggle and wiggled his butt some. “Miiss-twess took usss to… doctor?” He asked, looking up. “Dr. Tim.” He nodded.

"The receptionist's name was Tim little one. The doctor you are referring to is an arborist, one who handles affini medical and grafts. His name was Rosoncha." Tizrin knew the florets likely weren't listening to anything she was saying, but it was fun to tease Nyx a little.

Hannah looked like her brain had stopped processing anything that wasn't where Nyx was touching her.

Nyx giggled a bit at Hannah, sitting up straighter. He took her hand and let it trail down his tummy.

Latalla watched them for a moment before she spoke with Tizrin in Affini. “Perhaps the little boy should be taken to play other games. Hannah is still… adjusting.” She said with a soft smile.

Tizrin was of the same mind and reached out to carefully pluck Nyx off of Hannah. "Now now, little one. You will get to play like that at some point if you want but not yet." She deposited him back on her lap.

Hannah had gone through a whole mix of emotions very quickly and was starting to feel overwhelmed, even through the class A.

Nyx darted off her lap with a little giggle, falling in front of her. “No! Let’s play!” The class A was damping his sense of reason.

Latalla hoisted Hannah to her lap. “How’re you feeling?”

Tizrin pulled Nyx back again and stood. "I think we need to do a bit more work alone. Do you think Hannah will be able to play with Nyx tomorrow?

Hannah lost herself for a moment in the touch of the affini's vines. She managed to pull herself back enough to say, "I wanna talk with less sillies."

Nyx kicked his feet a little bit as he got picked up again.

“Absolutely, he’s a doll. He just got some special drugs today is all.” She hummed. As they left, she gave Hannah a slow and steady antidote for the class A. “Been a big day, huh?”

Hannah relaxed into her, a bit of neediness in her motions. "Y-yes, but I w-wanna talk."

Latalla brought her over to her lap, vines brushing over her back. “You can talk as much as you need to, petal.”

The door closed to Tizrin's room. She gave Nyx enough of the antidote to the class A that he would only be mildly giggly from it. "Okay, my little floret. Playing with someone when on class A feels very good doesn't it?"

Nyx giggled a little and had to cover his mouth in order to nod successfully.